Shadow Play
by charmingchrissy1
Summary: Kuroko Tetsumi didn't look like much off the court, but on the court she was fierce and talented. After a tragic injury during a game, Kuroko leaves basketball behind, but one day she witnesses an intense game between some street ball players, one of those players is Kagami Taiga. Fem!Kuroko. AU. AominexKurokoXKagami. NEW VERISON BEING WRITTEN - Shadow Play: ReCharge! COMING SOON!
1. BROKEN

*****IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE*****

Hello wonderful readers and followers of Shadow Play!

I am so sorry for disappearing for such a long time. Unfortunately, my USB that contained this story was lost to me, so that really put a damper things, then I moved to a new place, I started focusing more on college (which is almost over, thank goodness!), and I lost my writing mojo. However, about a month ago, I came back to this story. I reread every single chapter and honestly, I'm very disappointed in my writing on it. I don't think it's terrible, but I do feel it can be so much better!

I am coming here today to ask for all of your forgiveness for abandoning this story so long ago. I feel terrible for doing so. I recently started watching Kuroko no Basuke again and my love of it has blossomed. Not that I ever stopped loving this series, but I lost time and interest in writing for it. Things are different now, after rereading Shadow Play and rewatching the anime, I want to return to this story.

Not only do I wish to return, I will be rewriting this story in it's entirety. I will be leaving this version up until the new and improved version is complete. I have already plotted the new version, which will have some similarities and some differences. The main concept will remain the same of course.

I really do hope that you all will still be interested in this story! I honestly believe it will be better now that I have a more concrete plot.

Again, I apologize for leaving for so long!

Thank you so much for sticking with me, I hope to see you in the new version of Shadow Play.

Which reminds me, the new version to this story will be called **Shadow Play: ReCharge**!

Thank you for reading this, I'll see you at the new story page!

Take care, lovely supporters and readers! You are awesome ;)

-Chrissy 3

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hello reader, thank you for being curious enough to click on this story. Recently, I have taken an interest in Kuroko no Basuke and had been thinking of writing a fanfic for it. I read a few fanfics on the series and even a few stories where Kuroko is presented as a female. Originally, I had planned to write a one-shot or two, but then I thought why not try writing a female version of Kuroko story? That's what I have decided to do, after careful thought, I decided that this story will not follow the canon version very closely at all, if anything only the tournaments will be the same. The rest of the story I will be changing entirely to fit with my female verison of Kuroko: Kuroko Tetsumi. I hope that you will enjoy it if you decide to read it!

**Summary:** Kuroko Tetsumi didn't seem like a threat to most junior high basketball players, but when on the court she was fast and agile with an incredible gift for passing. She could weave through players like it was nothing, but the game before the Winter Cup, Tetsumi suffers a tragic injury. Two years later, Tetsumi refuses to play basketball, but when she watches a game of street ball and the raw talent of Kagami Taiga something sparks inside of her.

**Pairings:** AominexKurokoxKagami

**Warnings:** AU. Cursing. Violence. Gender Swap. Mild OOC. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _**Kuroko**__** no Basuke**_, I am merely a fan with ideas.

**Last Edited On: **February 17, 2016

* * *

**BROKEN**

The crowd became inaudible when the impact occurred. Her internal organs rattle against her bones as she jolted forward. Her opponent's weight hurtled down on her, causing her to stumble toward the basketball hoop. The ball escaped her fingertips and swirled around the hoop. Her blue eyes watched as she came tumbling back toward the wooden floor. People in the stands watched, and hung from the edge of their seats. Tetsumi's teammates held their breaths as the ball circled round and round.

The center of Teiko went to dunk the ball into the hoop, but the rival teams blocked him. Her eyes closed tight when she made a staggering landing onto the ground and hobbled to the basketball hoop's base. She gripped it to keep from falling, and watched as the ball fell into the hoop.

A bright smile flashed on her face as she clenched her fist and pumped it into the air. Their opponents appeared furious that she scored. The halftime buzzer sounded moments later, and Kuroko Tetsumi sighed in relief. She needed a few minutes to catch her breath. Just as she pushed off of the basketball hoop, a shocking pain shot from her leg. Tetsumi gasped and fell back, lying on the court floor. The pain was unbearable like shockwaves of pain firing in her veins. Her eyes squeezed shut. She couldn't even bring herself to scream.

"Tetsumi!" Aomine shouted when he saw her lying on the ground. Her arm lay across her eyes. She felt his thundering footsteps as he came jogging over to her. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked as he knelt down beside the blue-haired girl and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It hurts so bad, Dai-kun." Tetsumi grimaced as she moved her arm from her face and laid it on the ground above her head. Tears started to flood her eyes, and when she closed them tight they spilled. Aomine examined her leg and noticed a rise in the skin and a tint of purple and dark red.

"Coach!" Aomine looked over his muscled shoulder and waved for Sanada. The moment he called out to the coach, people in the stadium had their eyes locked on the fourteen-year-old basketball star. "Don't move, Tetsumi. I think it's broken."

"Wasn't planning on it," Tetsumi chuckled and gritted her teeth as the throbbing intensified. She had a gut-wrenching feeling that Aomine was right; her leg was unquestionably broken.

"Tetsumi? What's going on?" Coach Sanada asked as he knelt down in his classy suit and tie. Their coach stared at her leg for and bit his lip. "Oh no," he breathed at the sight of swelling and lift under the skin. Aomine glanced at Coach Sanada, who pressed his lips together.

The referee that came jogging over. "Something wrong, Coach?"

"We need to get her to the hospital. Her leg's broken," Coach Sanada said grimly, watching Tetsumi fighting back the urge to scream. Her eyes opened and tears fell. This would be the end of the season for her; she wouldn't be able to go all the way with her team. The referee nodded in understanding and ran over to the other referee. "Scale of one to ten, how bad does it hurt?" Coach Sanada probed.

Tetsumi looked at her Coach with bleary eyes and forced a smile. "It's about a seven," she lied with a small laugh.

"You're pretty tough, Tetsumi," Aomine said as he sat down beside her. "You just gave an eleven, a seven." He smiled at her, and Tetsumi shrugged. The pain was excruciating, but what made it even worse was that her season for basketball was over.

"Tetsucchi!" Kise Ryota bellowed as he scrambled across the court. Tetsumi rolled her eyes as the blond nearly ran over Aomine to see her. "Is it broken?" he asked, his golden eyes filled with worry and sadness.

"I'm afraid so," Tetsumi answered and looked at her friend and teammate. "I'll be okay, Ki-kun." She smiled at him, and Kise was concerned, but he smiled back. It wasn't a minute before her whole team surrounded her. Tetsumi grinned at all of them with a tear-stained face, and assured them everything would be okay.

The sound of rolling wheels echoed in the building as two medics rushed over a gurney. The Teiko Basketball Club stepped aside, allowing them room to work. One medic was a female and started asking Tetsumi if she could move her leg at all. When she tried a burning sensation consumed her, causing her to yelp in pain. The woman nodded, and told Tetsumi they were going to put it in a splint before transporting her.

A mild pain flooded her senses, burning her nerves as the medics finished binding her leg and lowered the gurney down. The two medics lifted her onto the gurney and raised the side rails, lifting the gurney to its full height. Tetsumi grunted a bit as the sting of the pain waved up and down her leg. The medics were about to wheel her off, but Tetsumi asked them to wait. They informed her they needed to get her to the hospital immediately because of the blood pooling in her injury.

"It'll only take a second," she said, looking at them with pleading eyes. The medics sighed and nodded, removing their hands from the gurney. Tetsumi turned her attention to her teammates. "This is probably the stupidest thing I could say to you guys, but don't you dare lose this game!" Tetsumi snapped.

"We'll win," Midorima Shintaro assured her, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He shook his green hair from his face and looked to his teammates, who agreed. "There's no way we could lose, especially now."

"Midorimacchi is right," Kise said with a bright smile, clapping Tetsumi on the shoulder. "We'll win."

Tetsumi nodded and looked to the medics, telling them they could take her. As they wheeled her away, Aomine ran over and asked them to stop. The medics sighed and stopped reluctantly, allowing Aomine to talk to Tetsumi. When she looked at him, he smiled weakly and placed his hand on hers.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Tetsumi frowned and shook her head. "It wasn't your fault, so don't think like that and don't apologize. Go play basketball." She waved him away to join the team on the court. Aomine pressed his lips together and nodded his head. He let go of Tetsumi's hand and promised her they'd come see her as soon as they won the game. She laughed as her dark-skinned teammate ran back to the team.

The announcer came on over the PA system and informed both teams they would be starting the second half of the game shortly. Tetsumi frowned as she left the arena with the medics. She wanted to keep playing; she wanted to win the game with her friends.

Her eyes drifted to her broken leg. Anxiety consumed her; the pain had not let up even a little—not just physically but emotionally too. Up ahead she spotted the ambulance and swallowed hard.

"So how did it happen?" the female medic asked as they loaded Tetsumi into the ambulance. They started checking her blood pressure, and Tetsumi looked at the woman. "And playing with the boys, you must be very good."

"They cut my team from my old school cause not enough girls signed up. I came here last year, pretending to be a boy so I could play. The captain figured it out after tryouts though," Tetsumi explained with a laugh. She remembered going in for tryouts the very first time so vividly. They trained way harder than the girls' team, but then again they were an all-star team—nothing short of excellence. Tetsumi looked at the woman, who chuckled. "I love basketball, I'd do anything to play…literally."

"Well you took the statement 'break a leg' a little too far," the medic commented, and Tetsumi shrugged with a grin. "You're lucky this isn't an open compound fracture."

"Lucky would have been never getting a broken leg at all," Tetsumi countered. "It all happened so fast, the other player was trying to stop my lay-up. We collided and the next thing I know I landed wrong. I limped to the basket and watched my ball go round and round on the rim. I was so focused on that I didn't even notice my leg was broken until I tried to walk away." She shook her head, thinking that she may have possibly ended her career in basketball.

* * *

**-###-**

* * *

Tetsumi sat in her hospital bed, absorbing the doctor's words. She stared blankly at the wall and fought every single urge to cry. It was just as she had assessed. Her career in basketball was hanging by a very thin thread. The doctor guaranteed they'd do everything they could to make sure she could play again, but he told her it wouldn't be easy.

The break unfortunately was not as clean. Parts of the bone had shattered due to the sudden impact of her weight and the other player's that followed. When she first hit the ground, it caused the initial break, but when her opponent crashed down on her and caused her to stumble, it created a bend. The doctor told her she was lucky the bones didn't pop out. Not only had she broken her bone, but also her ACL had been torn in the process and there was mild muscle damage.

It was a lot of information to take in, and the doctor couldn't give her an answer on if she could ever play again. He told her that she'd have a long recovery ahead and only time would tell.

Tetsumi felt a single tear slide from her eye, but quickly brushed it away. They were going to take her into surgery to put everything together again. She was scheduled to go in soon. They feared that if they didn't get her in quickly, they would be risking compartment syndrome. Tetsumi stared at the clock on the wall, watching the second's tick by. The game would be over now, she expected the boys to come barreling in at any minute.

Someone knocked on the door of her room. When she turned her head, Tetsumi smiled at her pink haired best friend, Momoi Satsuki. She smiled and waved to Tetsumi as she entered the hospital room. Momoi was the Teiko team manager and was one hell of an analyst; she was as much apart of the team like all the other players. Her shoes echoed on the white and grey speckled linoleum flooring. When she reached Tetsumi's bedside, she sat down near Tetsumi's feet.

"What did the doctor say?" Momoi asked worriedly. It wasn't hard to see the distraught written all over Tetsumi's face. When the two locked eyes, Tetsumi sighed and shook her head slowly. "Oh no," Momoi breathed.

"They said it'll be a long recovery," Tetsumi explained sadly. "They won't be sure of anything until that point. I have to go in for surgery soon." The blue-haired girl flicked her hair over her shoulder and looked to Momoi.

"The boys are on their way," the pink haired teen said as she stood up from the bed. She walked over to the windows and opened up the blinds, letting in the sunshine. Tetsumi nodded, and lay back against her pillows. "And what do you think about your recovery, Tetsu-chan?" Momoi asked, turning on her heels.

"The more I think about it, the more terrified I become," Tetsumi admitted, feeling like a coward. "What if I can never play again? Or what if I do and I won't be the same? Or there will still be pain? Or I risk doing more permanent damage?" All the questions were floating in her head since the doctor left twenty minutes ago. Tetsumi was not just afraid, but also heartbroken. This wasn't supposed to happen, but it did and it might have ruined everything.

"Hey," Momoi said, walking over to her friend. She wrapped her arms around Tetsumi. "Everything is going to be fine, you'll see. Be positive." When Momoi pulled back, she brushed Tetsumi's hair in front of her shoulder and smiled. Tetsumi looked at Momoi and nodded, finding very little comfort in the pinkette's positivity.

There was a knock on the door. The girls looked to see a nurse standing in the doorway with the doctor. Tetsumi swallowed and looked back to Momoi, who placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's time to go in, Tetsumi-chan," the nurse said as she walked over to the bed. "Everything's going to be alright." She started preparing to take her out of the room.

"We'll be waiting when you get out, okay," Momoi said as she stepped out of the way.

"Okay," Tetsumi agreed. "Satsuki-chan, don't tell them anything. I'll tell them when I get out." The pink-haired girl blinked, but smiled and nodded before the nurse and doctor pulled Tetsumi out of the room. Momoi followed them and stood in the middle of the hall, watching as Tetsumi was pushed through the swinging double doors.

"Please be okay," Momoi whispered, clasping her hands together in front of her face.

* * *

**-###-**

* * *

The surgery went well, but the doctor still told Tetsumi she had a long road to recovery. He was hopeful that it would all go well and in a year she could potentially be as good as new, but they wouldn't know for another six months.

Before he left the room, he stopped in the doorway. "While the surgery went well and I am hopeful you will regain full health, there is still a twenty percent chance that you will not be able to play basketball again...at least not as you have prior to this."

"You mean, I may not be able to play competitively ever again?" she asked in a low, cracking voice.

"I am afraid that may very well be the case, but it is still too early to tell," he replied.

Those words struck a chord in her heart. She felt like she going to suffocate. While twenty percent didn't really seem like much, it was more than Tetsumi cared to risk.

"Is there anything I can do to make sure that doesn't happen?" she asked.

The doctor smiled warmly. "You need to rest and stay positive. Allow your body and mind to heal," he paused for a moment, "I believe your friends are here, I'll send them in."

She nodded and glanced at her leg. It was elevated in a sling and wrapped up nice and tight. Tetsumi had to get better; basketball was such a big part of her life. If she could never play again it would crush her.

As she was mulling over the thoughts of not being able to play again, she felt someone staring at her. Tetsumi's sadness faded away as Aomine Daiki stood in the doorway. He leaned against the doorjamb, his hands shoved into the pockets of the team jacket and his sapphire eyes were locked on her. She wondered if Momoi had cracked under the pressure of everyone asking her if she knew anything. Somehow, Tetsumi believed that Momoi hadn't said a thing, and Aomine just knew.

"Don't stand there all broody," Tetsumi laughed. "You're making me nervous."

Aomine smirked and pushed off the doorjamb, making his way over to her. His eyes fell to her leg, and he shook his head. Tetsumi stared at Aomine, and could tell he felt like it was his fault she'd been injured. Of course, everyone knew that it wasn't his fault. It was no one's fault—it was just bad timing. She was moving so fast and the other team's player was on her like white on rice.

"Stop," Tetsumi scolded Aomine.

He met her gaze. "What?"

She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't 'what' me you know what," she shot back at him. Aomine rolled his eyes as he took a seat on the edge of her bed. "How did you guys do without the star player?" Tetsumi teased, hoping it would lighten the mood.

"We won obviously," Aomine replied with a cocky smirk. Tetsumi giggled and nodded, she expected nothing less. "What did the doctor say, Tetsumi?" The basketball player turned sullen and gestured to her injured leg.

Tetsumi exhaled. "Dai-kun," she paused and met his eyes, "I have a long recovery. And…there is a chance I may never be able to play again." When those words slipped from her mouth, Aomine quickly stood up and looked at her with wide eyes. She could see the sorrow and defeat eating him.

"How big of a chance?" he asked quickly.

"Dai-kun," she muttered.

"How much, Tetsumi?" he pressed.

"It doesn't matter," Tetsumi said firmly. "I'm going to play again. We're going to play again." She looked up at him as he stood beside her, looking all but optimistic about her declaration. Tetsumi wouldn't give up basketball, not without fighting as hard as she could for it.

"You won't be able to play next season?" Aomine asked.

"No, unfortunately not," Tetsumi replied. "But, I'll still go to every game and practice." She winked at him, causing Aomine to chuckle.

"You promise?" he asked her.

Tetsumi held her pinkie finger out. "Pinkie promise," she replied as Aomine rolled his eyes. "Come on, you know you wanna do it." She wiggled her pinkie a bit and Aomine laughed, wrapping his pinkie around hers.

But promises are not always kept.


	2. HANAEMI

**Author's Note:** Hello readers! I was completely blown away by the amount of alerts and favorites this story received! Thank you all so very much for having faith in this story. I really hope this next chapter lives up the expectations. As I said, I will not be following the canon story that closely, which will be evident in this chapter. And like I warned in the previous chapter, there will be some mild OCC-ness to fit the moments that happen in this story. I will do my best to keep them in character though!

**Special Thanks To: **xxxLucyxharemfanxxx, DarkJewelMist, notthatiamyou, and Kyara17! You're comments really gave me the extra boost to get this chapter up sooner than I had initially planned!

**Last Edited On: **February 17, 2016

* * *

**HANAEMI**

There was a little shop just a block from the park where she used to play basketball with the Teiko boys. They were known as the Generation of Miracles in Tokyo and the surrounding areas. It was possible they were known even farther than that for they were basketball prodigies.

Each one had a brilliant gift, but those gifts went to their heads. It was a joke before when Tetsumi told them at the start of their final year that if their egos got any bigger they'd need a bigger court. They would laugh, but never took her words seriously. Eventually, Tetsumi couldn't bring herself to go to their games or practices. Not that she could even it call it a practice when all the starting players—her teammates and friends—refused to try or put forth any effort. It was disappointing to her that the team that loved basketball became distant and cold about the sport.

The Teiko Basketball Club was the champion team that dominated every tournament in their age range. For three years they were the best of the best, and crushed every opponent like they were nothing. By the middle of their third year, Tetsumi broke her promise to Aomine. She couldn't bring herself to watch her teammates play such a lifeless game.

In her eyes they were wasting their talents and had become pigheaded. They were no longer a team; they were just self-righteous individuals good at a sport. The distaste in her mouth when she watch them show-off with no respect for the other players hard work overwhelmed her.

Basketball was about trusting your teammates to be there when your back was against the wall. For whatever reason the Teiko Basketball Club lost that value.

She partly blamed herself. After her injury, the team began to change. They still played strong and dominated the court, but the game was no longer beautiful. She still remembered Aomine asking why she stopped coming to the games.

"You were always going on and on about supporting your team, but you don't even show up to the games anymore. What's going on?" Aomine asked her in the hallway one morning.

"It's just hard to watch now, seeing as I can't play," she muttered, holding her tongue for the other reasons she'd stopped. Teiko was not the team they once were; they had become selfish and arrogant. More importantly, Tetsumi felt it was time to let basketball go. She hated to think that way, but she was afraid of basketball even though her injury was healing very well.

She hadn't seen any of her old teammates in almost a year. Even when they had class, Tetsumi did her best to stay out of everyone's way. She got good at being invisible, but it wasn't hard since she rarely went anywhere because of her leg.

When she limped around in her leg brace, people would stare and whisper about it. At first the boys would be by her side and give anyone who whispered dirty looks. In time, Tetsumi stopped being around them and ignored what people said.

When graduation finally rolled around, Tetsumi had gone to the court. She didn't make her presence known as she stood on the second level, watching as Akashi had them all make an oath. He wanted them to go their separate ways and find out who was the best.

That day, Tetsumi lost hope in her team returning to their former greatness.

"Is something wrong, Tetsumi-chan?" the shop owner, Hiwatari Mei, asked as she tied ribbons around some candy boxes. Mei was a young woman in her twenties and loved anything and everything sweet. In many ways, Tetsumi was often reminded of Murasakibara Atsushi, the powerhouse of the Teiko Basketball Club. He was a towering giant with an insatiable sweet tooth.

"Oh! Sorry, I was just thinking," Tetsumi said with a nervous laugh as she went back to stocking the shelves.

Tomorrow would be the anniversary of Tetsumi trying out for the Teiko Basketball Club. It seemed like such a long time ago, but really it had only been two years. Tetsumi stopped when she came across some packages of Nerunerunerune candy. She chuckled, remembering this candy was Murasakibara's favorite. Many times she had used it to bribe him to do something for her.

The bells on the door jingled and Mei quickly jumped to her feet to greet the customer.

"Welcome to Yummy &amp; Lolli's!" Mei exclaimed, but went silent as the person sluggishly walked in. Her mouth dropped at the lumbering giant, she quickly snapped her fingers to gain Tetsumi's attention.

"What's the matter, Hiwatari-san?" Tetsumi asked as she stood up and brushed her blue hair from her face. Her eyes widened as she saw someone she hadn't expected. The store was on the opposite side of the city from where Murasakibara ever came. Of course, he would travel to the ends of the earth to find a good deal on sweets. "Mu-kun?" Tetsumi asked, earning the purple haired, lavender-eyed man's attention.

"Tetsu-chin?" Murasakibara mused, walking toward her. He leaned down to get a better look and blinked a few times. "Tetsu-chin, it is you." The giant smiled and placed a hand on Tetsumi's head, ruffling up her hair.

She pushed his hand away and scowled. "Always have to mess up the hair, don't you?" She peered up at him and shook her head. He'd gotten much taller since she'd last seen him. "You sure did travel quite a ways for some candy, Mu-kun."

"My team is practicing over here, but I didn't want to play," Murasakibara explained with a shrug and looked around the store.

"Do you still hate basketball?" she asked him, placing her hands on her hips.

"Why would you ask such a stupid question, Tetsu-chin?" Murasakibara asked with narrowed eyes. Tetsumi walked over to the box she had moments ago. She knelt down and grabbed a couple of packages of the Nerunerunerune.

"If you hate it, then why do you still play?" Tetsumi asked, tossing the candy to him. Murasakibara caught the candy and looked at it, beaming when he realized what it was. "Hiwatari-san, would it be all right if I took my lunch break?" she asked her boss, who was still ogling over the giant in her store.

"C-Certainly," Mei chirped.

"Come on, Mu-kun," Tetsumi said, going to the front door. Murasakibara nodded his head as he opened one of the candy packages. He followed the small girl out the door and munched the candy. "Did you really not want to play, or did Sei-kun tell you not too?"

Murasakibara remained silent, but Tetsumi knew he had heard her. She shook her head, knowing now that Akashi Seijuro had told him not to play. Even though Murasakibara claimed he hated basketball, Tetsumi refused to believe that. When they played together, he was a force to be reckoned with. He would dominate the court, scoring point after point.

"Do you play, Tetsu-chin?" Murasakibara questioned as they ventured down the sidewalk lined with budding cherry blossom trees. They were heading to the park, where Tetsumi would leave him with his teammates.

"Can relay the message to Sei-kun? Tell him to ask me himself, I know he's been keeping tabs," Tetsumi shot back, causing Murasakibara to snort.

"Everyone wants to know," Murasakibara corrected. Tetsumi glanced at him, but remained silent. "Don't be so surprised, Tetsu-chin. You were part of the team."

"Team, huh?" Tetsumi chortled. "There was no team in the end, Mu-kun." She could see the basketball courts ahead with several guys playing. Tetsumi stopped as she saw one of the players dunk the ball in the basket. Licking her lips, Tetsumi turned to Murasakibara. "This is where I leave you, enjoy your candy." With a small smile and a wave, she walked back to the shop.

"Tetsu-chin!" Murasakibara called out.

She stopped, but kept her back to him.

"You should join a team," he said, and her brows knitted together. "The oath extended to you too."

Tetsumi whipped around and looked at him in confusion. She didn't think they knew she was there that day. "Oath?" she tried, hoping to play it off.

"From graduation day," Murasakibara clarified as he opened another candy package. "Aka-chin wants you to play, so play."

"Tell Sei-kun, that I don't take orders from him." Tetsumi turned around and continued on her way, leaving Murasakibara alone in the middle of the sidewalk. He reached into the pocket of his shorts and pulled out his cellphone. Typing out a quick message, Murasakibara flipped his phone close and wandered over to the bleachers to watch his team play.

* * *

**-###-**

* * *

School assemblies were the worst. It just marked the day they would be going back to school after a nice break. Tetsumi stood among the rest of the students of Seirin High School.

In the row of students next to her was a familiar face, Hyuga Junpei. He was the captain of the Seirin Basketball Club and was supposedly one hell of a clutch shooter. Last year, Seirin didn't get very far into any tournaments, but Tetsumi had a gut feeling they could be a strong team. She looked at the captain as he talked with the other second years that were on the basketball team. The previous day the whole team had been asking the first years to join the team, but Tetsumi wasn't sure if anyone had.

_"Aka-chin wants you to play, so play."_

Murasakibara's words echoed in her mind for the whole weekend. She didn't want to play anymore. They all knew that her injury had been severe; going back could risk permanent damage. The doctors had told her that she could play again if she chose to, but she would have to take it slow. In fact, the doctors and nurses encouraged her to play again—even if it wasn't competitively. If she didn't try, they would never know if she had potential to play competitively. It wasn't comforting, but she did think of trying more than she wanted.

"Class 1-B, number 5, Kagami Taiga!" someone with red hair shouted from the rooftop, standing on the metal railing. Tetsumi looked toward the speaker and furrowed her brows, wondering what he was doing up there—during the assembly. "I will defeat the Generation of Miracles and become the best player in Japan!" he declared.

Tetsumi's mouth fell open while the rest of the student body whispered amongst themselves that they were 'doing it again'. They must have had one hell of a coach to have them publicly announce to the school their intentions. Tetsumi heard a few teachers muttering to themselves and saw the principal of the school racing to the building.

"Riko better hurry it up, there goes the principal," Hyuga commented as the man stalked off, flinging the school doors open. "They'll get detention just like last year."

Tetsumi glanced at the group of second years that cackled like hyenas. She smirked as another student began announcing something. Obviously, it was a tradition for them. Her true interest though was with the redhead, who claimed he would defeat the Generation of Miracles. That was a mighty tall order.

"Poor first years are gonna get their behinds chewed out in the first week," Shun Izuki, a black haired second year with sharp eyes, commented with a laugh. "That Kagami seemed pretty confident."

"He's the talent we've been looking for, so let's count our blessings," Hyuga said, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked back up at the rooftop. The late morning sun gleamed off his glasses as he smiled.

"You think he'll beat them?" Izuki asked.

"No," Tetsumi muttered, and all four boys looked at her. She closed her mouth and looked away nervously. When they didn't stop staring, she slinked away.

"Hey! Wait!" Hyuga called out, but Tetsumi darted off and concealed herself in the crowd. "Who was that girl? She looked familiar right?" he asked, looking to his teammates.

"Did she say 'no' to the question?" Izuki asked.

"I think so," Hyuga replied. He knew those blues eyes; he'd seen them before. "But it doesn't matter, everyone will say we can't beat the Generation of Miracles, but we'll prove them wrong this year."

The second years all cheered in agreement.

* * *

**-###-**

* * *

Tetsumi sighed as she walked home from school. It was a twenty-minute walk if she cut through the park—she go the long way, because she hated passing the courts. Today though, she decided to cut through the park. For the morning assembly, Tetsumi found herself spending most of the day remembering the Teiko days—when the boys actually loved basketball and working together.

Those times were long gone now; they only cared about being the best individually. Teamwork didn't matter, hard work, friends, none of it. All they cared about was being the best, but for what reason? Tetsumi didn't understand why it mattered so much. What fun was there when you couldn't share the victory with your team?

She stopped walking when that presence she could never forget loomed over her. Tetsumi stifled a laugh as she shook her head and turned around. Murasakibara must have passed along the message, and by the look on his face, Akashi Seijuro was far from amused. Tetsumi didn't care; she didn't fear him like the others did. Akashi was a lot of things, but he would never hurt her even if she did annoy him. In Akashi's world, his orders were absolute—in Tetsumi's world they were suggestions.

"You finally decided to come and see me personally," Tetsumi said. His sunset eyes were demonic and intimidating. The smirk on his face bordered on sadistic, but Tetsumi didn't waver under the pressure. "Hello, Akashi." She bowed slightly and smiled.

"Hanaemi," he said with a smirk. "The flowering smile of the court." Akashi circled her like a shark in the middle of the ocean. She looked to her left and then to her right as he studied her.

"Did you come here to check up on me or to coerce me into playing?" Tetsumi asked as Akashi stopped beside her, facing the opposite direction. He chuckled and reached for her hair that fell past her shoulder blades.

"What are you doing, Kuroko Tetsumi?" Akashi asked, letting go of her hair. "Attending Seirin? You could do better than that. There are schools with much better teams, wouldn't you say? Perhaps it would be wise for you to attend Rakuzan or Tōō?"

"For what purpose?" Tetsumi asked, looking to Akashi. "I don't play basketball, so it doesn't matter where I go."

"You may not play now," Akashi said. "But you will play again, Tetsumi."

The blue-haired girl just stared at Akashi.

"I know you, Tetsumi," Akashi whispered into her ear. She stepped away from Akashi and narrowed her eyes. The redhead laughed and faced the basketball courts a little ways down the path. "Whether it's fear or anger, you'll overcome it." His red and orange eyes glanced at her as she shook her head.

"Goodbye, Akashi," she said vehemently, walking away from him.

"I wasn't done yet," Akashi told her.

"Well I am," she shot back, whirling around. "I don't answer to you, Akashi. You are no longer my captain, and I no longer play basketball, and I did not participate in whatever ridiculous oath you have between the others," she paused, a fire lighting in her eyes, "I want you to just leave me out of it."

"That injury really broke you, didn't it?" Akashi asked. She shook her head, her injury was a small part of her resistance to playing, and the bigger part was what her team had become.

"It's not just the injury, Sei-kun," Tetsumi said softly, causing Akashi to raise a brow. The fact that she was saying her pet name for him, made him lower his guard. "I don't like what you all have become." She shrugged half-heartedly.

"And what pray-tell have we become?" he asked with that devilish grin etched on his handsome face.

"Narcissistic pigs," Tetsumi answered coolly.

Akashi snickered as he approached Tetsumi, towering over her by three inches. His hand gently touched her cheek and his thumb stroked her skin. Shivers ran down her spine at his touch.

"Winning is everything, Tetsumi," he said to her softly as he gripped her chin and pulled her forward. Akashi pressed his lips against her forehead and let them linger there for a moment.

Tetsumi quickly pushed her ex-captain away and glared at him. "The Sei-kun I met three years ago on this day would never say something like that." With those words, Tetsumi walked away and didn't think twice about looking back.

* * *

**-###-**

* * *

She pulled her keys out of her bag and unlocked her apartment door. Her father was on a business trip and her mother worked late at the restaurant, so Tetsumi normally came home to an empty house. She knew she wouldn't receive a response, but Tetsumi announced that she was home and flicked on the lights. She dropped her bag on the floor and kicked off her shoes.

As she walked into her home, Tetsumi stopped when she noticed someone sitting on her couch. Her brows knitted together as she walked back to the entryway of the living room. Tetsumi yelped when she saw a dark-skinned teen. Placing a hand on her chest, Tetsumi shook her head and scowled.

"Aomine! What are you doing here?" she hissed at him, pointing an accusing finger his way.

His cool steel blue eyes lifted up and locked with hers. She lowered her finger and huffed, placing her hands on her narrow hips. "Come to Tōō," Aomine said as he stood up from the couch and stared at her with every intention of persuading her to go to his school. "You don't belong with the trash at Seirin."

Tetsumi had just about enough of her ex-teammates barging back into her life. She shook her head and rolled her eyes in annoyance. "No!" she barked, and Aomine furrowed his brows. "Get out!" She pointed to the door, but Aomine didn't even flinch.

He had grown taller just as Murasakibara and Akashi had. His muscles were leaner, but his eyes were the same as always. The intensity of his stare always made Tetsumi a little weak in the knees.

"I'm not leaving until you agree to come to my school," Aomine told her firmly, causing Tetsumi to throw her hands up in frustration.

"We're not friends anymore, Aomine!" she snapped at him. "So leave that spare key I gave you and go." She was fuming with anger, more anger than Aomine had ever seen come out of her. Aomine had only witnessed her flowering smile fade into a savage rage one time, and that was back when Hanamiya Makoto had tried to purposefully hurt Kise in a practice game.

"What happened, Tetsumi?" Aomine asked.

"I told you, we aren't friends anymore. Get out of my house, Aomine."

Those words hurt Aomine more than he thought they would.


	3. TRY

**Author's Note:** Hi there readers! I'm so excited to see how many favorites and alerts this story has gotten so far. It's truly so inspiring to me that so many of you like this story enough to do all that. Also please note, that I am tweaking a few things during the GOM time in Teiko, just so it works better with the present story. In any case, I hope you all are enjoying this story and thanks so much for all the support you have given me.

**Special Thanks To: **I ate fruit loops this morning, Guest, LoveAsAWriter, SoulXHunter, Soma, and cocobobo10! Your comments were wonderful and I dedicate this chapter to all of you!

**Last Edited On: **February 17, 2016

* * *

**TRY**

_She looked at herself in the mirror and let out a breath. Her hands pressed against the white porcelain sink and her head hung between her slender shoulders. It might have been a bad idea, but she had to try. Her middle school had cut the girls basketball team since only three girls signed up, including her. _

_She couldn't believe that more girls didn't want to play basketball. Most girls signed up for soccer, volleyball, and gymnastics. Not that anything was wrong with any of those sports, but Kuroko Tetsumi loved basketball. When she was in elementary school she watched other kids play and fell in love with it._

_The way people would move, the sound of the basketball, the shuffle of the players' feet, and the sound of the swishing net—Tetsumi loved it! Her eight-year-old self could only imagine what it must have been like to play. If watching were that exciting, playing would probably send her over the moon. _

_Tetsumi didn't have any siblings, and her parents were always busy with their jobs, so she was usually alone. When she watched the basketball teams play, she could see that they were like a second family. They watched each other's backs, they had smiles on their faces, and there was just a strong bond between them. Tetsumi wanted that kind of bond, so she began to play basketball._

_Last week she had discovered that the middle school she was supposed to be attending didn't have a girl's basketball team. She was absolutely crushed, and the school wouldn't let her play with the boys' team. According to the coach, she would get hurt if she played with the boys. He may have been right, but when you played sports getting hurt was just part of the deal. Tetsumi was going to play, and nothing and no one was going to get in her way. She told her parents she was going to transfer to Teiko Junior High, which had a large basketball club. The blue-haired twelve year old was convinced she would be able to get on the team._

_"Tetsumi-chan! This is a bad idea!" Ugaki Rina, a cute brunette with pigtails, exclaimed as she held the scissors away from Tetsumi. "Don't cut your hair!" she begged._

_"It'll grow back," Tetsumi assured her friend with a smile and tried to take the scissors back, but Rina moved out of her reach. "Rina-chan."_

_"What if you don't make the team? Then you'll cut it off for nothing," Rina pointed out. The blue-haired girl placed her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Just put a wig on instead."_

_"A wig could fall off, Rina-chan," Tetsumi chided. "It's only hair, so either cut it for me or give me the scissors."_

_Rina looked at her friend with bright amber eyes. Tetsumi's hair was so pretty, but Rina sighed and gave in. As she handed over the scissors, Tetsumi assured her that everything would be fine. Rina watched as Tetsumi grabbed a chunk of her hair that reached just below her ribs. Letting out a breath, Tetsumi smiled at Rina as she put the strands of hair between the blades._

_"I can't watch," Rina said as she clapped her hands over her eyes. At the sound of the scissors slicing through, Rina moved her fingers to peak at the results. "Holy crap," Rina gaped as Tetsumi held a long strand of hair up and dropped it into the sink._

_"No turning back now, Rina-chan." Tetsumi laughed and continued to cut her hair. The long arctic blue locks that had reached her ribs were now hovering an inch above her shoulders._

_"This is insane," Rina said as she stared at her friend through the mirror. "I can't believe you just cut off all your hair." She shook her head and stifled a laugh._

_"How does it look?" Tetsumi asked._

_"You look boyish now," Rina replied with a chuckle. "Now all you have to do is get rid of your boobs, wanna cut those off too?" Rina asked sarcastically._

_"That's what this is for," Tetsumi said as she walked over to her black gym bag that was slumped on the floor of the bathroom. She pulled out a large skin-colored bandage and beamed at her friend._

_"All this because you wanna play basketball," Rina sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "I hope this works." She walked over to her friend and took the large bandage._

_"It will," Tetsumi replied confidently. "Now hurry up, the team is going to start practicing in half an hour."_

_After thirty minutes of converting herself from a girl to a boy, Tetsumi stared at herself in the mirror. She wore a baggy shirt to help conceal her boobs even further, granted she didn't have very large breast. Rina had stolen her little brother's shoes and let Tetsumi borrow them. They had removed all her jewelry, her make-up, and her nail polish. Needless to say, she looked pretty convincing as a boy. They had even glued on some fake eyebrows to make hers appear a little bushier._

_"You make a cute boy, Tetsumi-chan," Rina giggled._

_ "Let's just hope they'll buy it." Tetsumi turned away from the mirror. "Remember call me Tetsuya-kun, okay."_

_Rina nodded and gave her a thumbs up as they gathered up her things and prepared to go to Teiko. As the two girls slipped out of the convenience store bathroom, they looked around to make sure no one was watching. No one was around so they darted out of the store and straight to Teiko._

_Not even five minutes later both girls stood before the gymnasium doors of Teiko. They exchanged looks, and Rina gave Tetsumi a smile of confidence. The blue-haired girl smiled back and nodded before grabbing the door handles. When she swung them open they were met with the sound of squeaking shoes, basketballs bouncing on the court, the coaches barking out commands, the blowing their whistles, and the swishing of the net._

_"Good luck, Tetsumi...I mean, Tetsuya-kun," Rina laughed nervously as she walked over to the bleachers were a few other onlookers were watching the boys practicing._

_Tetsumi's scanned the court. The gym was huge; Teiko took its basketball club very seriously. She spotted a man sitting on the opposite side of the court with a whistle around his neck, his eyes locked on a dark-skinned player weaving through some other players. He went in for a lay-up and made it look completely effortless. _

_Tetsumi's eyes widened, that guy was an absolute natural at basketball. She started to feel intimidated as a purple haired giant walked in front of her. Beside the giant was a boy that was a couple of inches taller than her. He stopped and looked at her for a brief moment, his sunset eyes studying her with intrigue._

_"Aka-chin can't we go get some candy?" the purple haired player asked, gaining the redhead's attention._

_"Later, Atsushi," he told him as he ripped his eyes off Tetsumi, who felt a little weird all of the sudden._

_Tetsumi regained herself and took a deep breath. She let it out and looked at the man she assumed to be the coach. He stood up from the bench and started barking orders at the dark-skinned player. The way he moved was incredible; he had no restrictions. His skill and raw talent amazed Tetsumi._

_She made her way over to the coach and cleared her throat as she stood behind him. "Um, excuse me," she said softly, but the coach didn't hear. He kept shouting at the players trying to stop the dark-skinned guy. "Coach?" Tetsumi said a little louder._

_The man stopped his shouting and blinked a few times. When he turned, his brows furrowed. His eyes drifted down to Tetsumi, who smiled and apologized for interrupting his coaching. The man's lips twitched, but he remained silent._

_"I'm Kuroko Tetsuya," she introduced, bowing. "I'm a transfer student from Okudo. I'd like to try out for the basketball team, please." She straightened up and tried to find her confidence, but the coach was very intimidating._

_"Aomine!" the coach shouted, causing Tetsumi to flinch._

_"Coach?" the dark-skinned, blue-haired monster of the basketball court questioned as he panted. His muscles were well defined, his eyes were a sharp steel blue, and sweat was trickling down the side of his face. Tetsumi swallowed as he towered over her by a good five inches._

_"One-on-one with this kid, he wants to play for the team," the coach explained. Aomine furrowed his brows as he looked down at Tetsumi. "Let's see what you got kid." The coach forcefully slammed the basketball into Tetsumi's chest, causing her to stumble back._

_Aomine chuckled and placed his hands on his waist. "Kinda short and scrawny looking, Coach."_

_"Just do the play, Aomine Daiki," the coach scolded and blew on his whistle, telling everyone to move to the other half of the court._

_"Alright, alright," Aomine huffed as he looked down at Tetsumi. "What's your name, Shorty?" He placed his arm on her head and leaned on her like she were a table. Tetsumi's cheeks puffed, and she waved his arm away, slipping out of his reach. Aomine laughed and knocked the basketball out of her hands. He dribbled the ball, walking backwards onto the court._

_"It's Kuroko Tetsuya," Tetsumi said as she followed him onto the court. His handling skills were definitely impressive, but Tetsumi had a few skills of her own. She just hoped it would be enough to take on this star player._

_"Let's see what you got, Tetsu," Aomine said, already giving her a pet name. She narrowed her eyes and watched as he dribbled the ball between his legs and broke left._

_By the time she had turned around, Aomine had gone in for a perfect lay-up. He laughed when the ball fell through the net. When he caught the ball, he held it in one hand and showed it to her._

_"You're pretty fast," Tetsumi complimented with a small laugh. Aomine raised a brow out of curiosity. "Let's see if you can keep up with me." He tossed the ball her way._

_She dribbled, walking to the right with Aomine's eyes on her like a hungry lion. Tetsumi took in a deep breath and decided to go in for a shot. Aomine defended against her. She took a step back and held one arm up to keep him back. _

_His muscles rippled as he tried to steal the ball, but Tetsumi moved the ball around her back. Aomine went to move again, but Tetsumi went back to her left. Unable to stop her without losing his balance, Aomine's eyes widened as Tetsumi ran up the court and bounced the ball off the glass and into the basket._

_A bright smile came onto her face. She pumped her fist in excitement. Aomine blinked a few times, mildly impressed that she was able to throw him off balance. Her ball handling might have been as good as his, but by the way she was breathing, he knew her stamina was very poor._

_The coach blew the whistle, and Aomine looked over to him as he approached. "You're ball handling is impressive, but you need work."_

_Tetsumi looked at the coach and nodded._

_"It took quite a bit of power for you to maneuver around Aomine," the coach explained and looked Tetsumi up and down. "You're so puny, so obviously your stamina would be low. Tell me, have you ever played basketball in your life?" he asked, which caused Tetsumi to stiffen. He could tell she had a low stamina after just one single play. She may have used a lot to get around Aomine, but she didn't think he'd see it as a weakness._

_"I have," Tetsumi answered honestly, hoping that would save her._

_"Your size could be a benefit, seeing as I have more sizable players than small ones," the coach mused as he rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger. "You have one week to impress me."_

_"A week?" Tetsumi gaped. That wasn't much time to do much improving of any sort._

_"Coach," someone interrupted, and the three turned their attention to the redhead from before. Tetsumi stared at him and wondered if he was going to oppose her being on the team. "There's something special about this player, don't you think?" he asked, nodding to Tetsumi._

_"Raw talent," Aomine chimed in, and the redhead agreed. "Just let him play with us for a while and see if that improves his game."_

_Tetsumi was surprised by their generosity._

_"This is unlike you, Akashi," the coach muttered as he looked to the redhead. "Practice is every day right after school, don't be late." With those words the coach walked away to continue coaching._

_Tetsumi wasn't sure if she should start jumping for joy or remain cool and collected. Her eyes fell upon Akashi, who only smiled at her. It wasn't a friendly kind of smile, but more of the I-know-your-secret kind. She hugged herself, hoping that she could hide her breasts that were already hidden very well. His eyes went to her shoes, and she wondered if he had figured her out._

_"Welcome to the team, Shorty," Aomine said as he walked around her. Tetsumi snapped out of her trance and looked at him._

_"Thank you," she said, and Aomine stopped beside Akashi. "I won't disappoint you." She bowed to them both and quietly slipped away, but Aomine and Akashi's eyes watched her until she was out of the gym._

* * *

-###-

* * *

Aomine stood completely frozen and torn by Tetsumi's words. He never anticipated her to be so cold and distant. She had never once raised her voice at him like that, nor had she ever said something so cruel. Her vibrant eyes were like a blue fire, boring into him. He stood dumbstruck in her living room.

Aomine didn't expect a warm reception, but he didn't expect her to degrade their friendship so easily. He could see that she was trembling before him, her eyes were misty, and it looked like she hated herself. Aomine licked his lips and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Fine," Aomine said gruffly, looking at Tetsumi. She turned away from him. "I'll leave, Shorty."

Tetsumi inhaled and closed her eyes tight. She heard his hollowed steps fading down the hall. When she opened her eyes, he opened the door, and Tetsumi's tears began to fall. It took everything in her not to run after him and apologize for her awful behavior. Even though Aomine had changed and wasn't the basketball player he used to be, deep down he was still a good person.

"Oh! Aomine-kun!" a feminine voice chirped.

Tetsumi looked to the hallway entrance.

"Kaoru-san," Aomine greeted, sounding surprised to cross paths with Tetsumi's mother, whom he hadn't seen since their graduation.

In Aomine's opinion, Tetsumi was a perfect copy of her mother. They had the same unique and lovely arctic blue hair, the same shimmering cerulean eyes, and the innocent and loving smile that was like flowers blooming in the spring.

"How have you been stranger?" Kaoru asked as she threw her arms around the tall boy, pulling him into a hug. "I never see any of you boys anymore, but you were always my favorite. The way you and Tetsumi-chan played basketball was simply beautiful." Kaoru squeezed Aomine tight, and stifled a laugh. He hugged her back and slowly pulled away.

"It's good to see you, Kaoru-san," Aomine told her. He wished he could stay, but it was obvious that Tetsumi didn't want to be around him. "I have to go. Take care." He moved around the woman and went to close the door.

"Aomine-kun," Kaoru said softly, and he looked at her. "Come around more, okay."

Aomine stared at the older woman for a moment, and looked away sadly.

"You're the only one, you know," she explained, causing Aomine to furrow his brows in confusion. "You're the only one who gave Tetsumi-chan a chance. Whatever happened between the two of you, I hope you can reconcile." The woman gave him a warm smile, and Aomine nodded to her.

"I hope so too," Aomine said, looking over Kaoru's shoulder. Her back was too him, but Tetsumi was standing in the hall. She was leaning against the wall, looking destroyed. Aomine looked back to Kaoru and bowed his head. "Have a good night." He quietly shut the door to their apartment and staggered towards the rail that saved him from crumbling to the floor.

Aomine gripped the railing and cursed under his breath. He was at a loss. They used to be so close, but now it appeared that they were merely strangers with memories. He ran his fingers through his short navy hair. It didn't sit well with him at all. Tetsumi was his friend, one of his best friends. No one had ever made him feel so defeated before. His eyes glanced at the apartment door of the Kuroko residence. Aomine straightened himself up and shoved his hands in his pockets. When the time was right they would speak again, or that's what he was hoping for at least.

"You should have told me, Aomine-kun was over," Kaoru said to her daughter as she took off her shoes and placed them aside. "He's gotten so tall these past few months, and very handsome."

"Yeah," Tetsumi answered, wiping away her tears with the sleeves of her sweater.

"Tetsumi?" her mother asked in a worried tone. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

"I'm just tired," Tetsumi said as she started walking to her room. "Goodnight mama."

When Tetsumi got to her room and closed the door, she fell back against it. She slid down to the floor and pulled her knees into her chest. After what she just did, she had to tell Momoi before Aomine did something stupid. Tetsumi reached into the pocket of her sweater and pulled out her cellphone.

She went to her text messages and found Momoi's name. When she selected her old friend's name, she began typing out a short message. She explained the situation briefly in her message, sent the text and dropped her phone on the floor. Tetsumi buried her face into her knees and cried silently, wishing she hadn't yelled at Aomine the way she did.


	4. BASKETBALL

**Author's Note:** Hello readers! I'm here with another chapter, completely elated that this story has 20 comments! Thank you all so much for the feedback, and all the favorites and alerts as well. I really hope that everyone continues to enjoy this story, I am having fun writing it. This chapter was especially fun to write, so enjoy!

**Special Thanks To: **TamashinoSuzume, I ate fruit loops this morning, Soma, flakeshake07, SoulXHunter, enchanted-nova, cocobobo10, and Piczle! Please keep leaving comments, they are fun to read and very encouraging!

**Last Edited On: **February 19, 2016

* * *

**BASKETBALL**

Her phone buzzed on her bedside table. Peeling her arm from her face, Tetsumi sat up on her bed and reached for her phone. It was her boss, which on any other day wouldn't be an issue. All she wanted to do was sit at home and mope for a while. Being the good worker that she was, Tetsumi answered as cheerfully as she could.

"Tetsumi-chan! I know it's your day off, but Kimi-san is sick today. Can you come in at noon, please?" Mei asked.

Tetsumi looked at the clock. It was barely eleven, which gave her plenty of time to get to work. "I'll be there," she replied, even though she really didn't want to go. Aomine was still on her mind and the way things took a severe turn for the worst.

"Thank you so much! See you soon!" Mei exclaimed and hung up the phone.

Tetsumi put her phone down on the bedside table and slumped against the pillows of her bed. Four days had passed since the incident with Aomine and Akashi. She didn't understand why they were barging back into her life. They had gone their separate ways long before they graduated junior high. When they became pigheaded, conceited, and self-righteous, Tetsumi left.

Akashi was challenging her. While Aomine had been her partner back in Teiko, it was Akashi who nurtured her talent and skills. He was the one who suggested she play along side Aomine, he was the one who improved her stamina, and he as the one who made her the player she became. Now he was standing before her, telling her to show him what she could do. Tetsumi wanted no part of it—her injury would never allow her to play like she used too.

Tetsumi wanted to go back to the first time they met. She wanted to go back to the time when basketball was simply basketball and having fun. Now it seemed like winning was all that mattered. She had worked with each of them, constantly trying to improve and catch up. Fate had a twisted sense of humor. Just when she was finally playing on their level, fate took it all away. Maybe it wasn't fate; perhaps it was just being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

She crawled off the bed and felt a dull pain in her leg. Her eyes drifted to the brace, lying on the dresser. Tetsumi walked over to the brace and cinched it up. It covered a majority of her legs from her thigh to her ankle. The pain had never really gone away, but some days it was bad. Her doctors insisted she continue some sort of regular training to help, but Tetsumi lost interest. There was no point it trying to heal her leg when her old team didn't play basketball like before.

"Mama." Tetsumi slipped on her skirt and polo for work. "I have to go to work, I'll be home after dinner." She opened her door once she was dressed and made her way to the front door.

"Okay! Be careful!" her mother hollered from the kitchen, where a various amount of aromas were coming.

Everything was blurry as Tetsumi made her way to the shop. She was on autopilot. According to Momoi, Aomine had been cold and distant, skipping practice much more. Tetsumi knew that she was the main reason he was being that way. Momoi assured Tetsumi that she would take care of him. Regardless of that, Tetsumi still felt awful. She would have to apologize to him. She didn't even try to talk to him. She was so hurt by what he had become. Tetsumi couldn't get him or any of them back to who they used to be.

The sound of a bouncing basketball caught her attention. She stopped walking and turned to her right where the basketball courts were along with a small crowd of people. Tetsumi tilted her head, it was unusual for people to stop and watch a game between some street ball players. Her curiosity was bubbling inside of her, so she wandered over to the fenced in court.

"That guy is pretty intense," one onlooker stated, his eyes locked on a tall redhead in a black t-shirt and red shorts.

"Yeah, the way he dunks is so cool!" another exclaimed, watching with a gleam in her eyes as the redhead and a brunette went toe-to-toe.

Tetsumi's eyes widened when she realized the redhead they were talking about was the guy from the roof. She watched as he dribbled the ball in a defensive stance. He moved quickly, but he was rigid. There was a lot of raw talent in him; he just needed to find that high.

He weaved through the other players with ease. His play style was similar to Aomine's. He wasn't as fast at Aomine, but he had it in him. He came to a halt and spun around his opponent. Leaping from the ground, he slammed the ball into the hoop. The crowd cheered in excitement, and the redhead threw his fist into the air.

The next play began, and Tetsumi found herself getting excited. Fast paced movements, cheering crowds, and the players shuffling feet—it brought back the memories of when she used to watch when she was a child. A smile started coming onto her face as the redhead blocked a shot, smashing the ball back down. Another player grabbed the ball and rushed back to the other side of the court. Tetsumi watched as the other team stopped the player. He passed the ball to the redhead, who faked left and went right before making a perfect lay-up.

"Way to go, Kagami!" one of the guys hollered as he clapped the redhead on the back.

"Let's keep it up!" the redhead, Kagami, exclaimed.

The way he played basketball was beautiful. He was having fun, smiling, and doing the best he could. Tetsumi rested her forehead against the chain-linked fence and couldn't fight her desire to smile.

Kagami watched as the opposing team scored two more points. He quickly darted to the other side of the court as one of his teammates hurled the ball halfway across the court. Tetsumi's eyes widened as the redhead caught the ball with ease and dunked the ball into the hoop. When Kagami landed on the ground he pumped his fist into the air. The buzzer sounded a second later, concluding the game.

"Good game, Kagami," the brunette said as he used his shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow. "Next Saturday we'll play again?"

"Count on it," Kagami said as the two bumped fists.

Tetsumi smiled, not only did Kagami have a fighting spirit and a true love for basketball he had sportsmanship. She was impressed and taken by Kagami's skills. He needed a little training, and some support from a strong team. If he could get those things from Seirin, he would be someone to watch out for.

The crowds began to clear after the players left the court, but Tetsumi stayed. She didn't understand why, but she felt the need to go talk to him. Not only did she have that feeling, but also he had lit a fire inside of her. After watching him play, all the memories from her Teiko days were flooding her. She bit her lip and watched as Kagami dried the sweat from his arms and face with a towel. He was sitting alone at the bench while the other players bid him their farewells.

Tetsumi decided to tell him that she thought it was a good game. As she started walking over to him, she said hello, but he didn't hear her. Tetsumi cleared her throat and spoke a little louder. Kagami looked up and jumped, startled by her presence. Tetsumi brushed her blue locks behind her ear and stared at him.

"Who are you?" Kagami asked.

Tetsumi deflated. They went to the same school, and were in the same class. She sat in the seat behind him, but it wasn't like they talked. She straightened up, and Kagami glanced at her leg. Tetsumi felt self conscious, so she would make it quick.

"Kuroko Tetsumi," she introduced with a small bow. "We're in the same class. I sit behind you."

Kagami furrowed his brows and rubbed his chin, trying to remember her. "I don't recall," he stated. Tetsumi rolled her eyes. "Did you need something?"

"No," Tetsumi said, causing Kagami to raise a brow. "I just..." she trailed off.

Kagami stood up and smiled at her, patting her on the head, which annoyed her. "Well, then I have to get going. If I'm late to practice, my coach will kill me." He turned around and grabbed his bag from the bench.

"You're really good," Tetsumi said just as he was about to walk away. Kagami blinked a few times and looked down at her, laughing lightly. "But you could be better."

Kagami narrowed his eyes at her. "Excuse me?"

"You have raw talent, but you'll never beat the Generation of Miracles," Tetsumi told him, causing Kagami tense up. She knew she struck a nerve, but she didn't care. If he wanted to beat the boys, he would need to get used to being put down. Those five boys were on a completely different level, and Kagami could only hope to scratch the surface. "I don't mean to insult you, I'm only trying to prepare you. Those boys would annihilate you, ruthlessly and mercilessly."

Kagami was repeating 'never hit a girl, never hit a girl, never hit a girl' in his head. She was rather uppity about it. The way she acted like she knew his talents, like she knew the Generation of Miracles. Kagami clenched his fist at his side and huffed.

"As it is, you wouldn't even come to their feet," Tetsumi added in, causing Kagami grab her by the collar of her shirt. She stared into Kagami's scarlet colored eyes, but showed no fear.

Akashi Seijuro had been her captain back in middle school; very few things scared her after having to deal with him. Tetsumi smirked when she saw that burning passion and rage buried within Kagami. Her assumptions had been correct, somewhere deep inside his potential laid dormant. He just needed to find that high to awaken his abilities.

"You have some nerve, little girl!" Kagami seethed through gritted teeth.

"You won't be able to beat them alone," Tetsumi said to him. "But it's cute that you think you can." He tensed again, jerking her forward.

"I recommend that you remove your hand from my girlfriend."

Tetsumi's head whipped in the direction of the speaker. Her cerulean eyes widened and she groaned. Kagami turned his attention to the speaker, who walked toward them. He let go of Tetsumi.

"Kise!" Tetsumi hissed at the blond.

"She's right though," Kise Ryota, the blond copycat, said with a smirk. "You can't beat the Generation of Miracles."

"And you are...who?" Kagami demanded.

"Kise Ryota, the fifth member of the Generation of Miracles," the blond said, his golden eyes glowing with intensity. Kagami didn't back down, he remained calm and confident. "And that was my girlfriend, you were disrespecting."

"Shut-up, Ki-kun!" Tetsumi commanded.

Kise frowned and acted like her words had broken his heart. "So mean, Tetsucchi!" he whined with teary eyes. His theatrics were the same as they had always been. She placed her hands on her hips and looked up at Kagami, who was still beside her.

"So you're one of them, huh?" Kagami asked with a snicker, looking like he was ready for a fight. "Then let's go." He held his hand out, which was holding a basketball.

Kise blinked a few times and chuckled. "Well you're an eager one."

Tetsumi stared at Kise and gave him the 'don't do it' look, but he pretended not to notice. He walked up with a confident smile and agreed. Tetsumi frowned, why did all the boys have to start meddling.

"What are you doing?" Tetsumi asked Kise as he stood beside her. He smiled and patted her shoulder. His eyes went to Kagami, who was walking to the half court mark.

"How are you, Tetsucchi?" Kise asked.

She crossed her arms over her chest and turned her nose up at him. The blond laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. When he walked away, Tetsumi looked back to the court and bit her lip. Kagami bounced the ball to Kise, which he passed back. The game started, and Tetsumi sat down on the bench.

Kise was toying with Kagami. He was sizing Kagami up, observing his movements and ball handling. Tetsumi was slightly relieved that it was Kise that showed up. It would have been much worse if Akashi had been there, and heaven forbid Aomine witnessed it. Granted any of the boys would have probably dropkicked Kagami for touching her.

"You got some moves," Kise said as he and Kagami ran up and down the court. It was obvious that Kagami was trying to shake Kise off, but Kise wasn't going to let him. Having enough, Kagami stopped and pivoted on his right leg. He whipped around Kise and dunked the ball with an impressive force. Tetsumi smirked; Kagami was the definition of powerful basketball. She was getting excited watching him play.

Kise picked up the basketball and rolled his head on his shoulders. Kagami had done well but Kise was about to shut him down. The basketball prodigy excelled at copying people's moves and making them his own. He only needed to see the move once, and he could preform it like he'd been doing it for years. Kagami watched Kise dribble the ball.

They went at it. The way they moved was exciting and fast paced. Tetsumi found herself on her feet, watching as Kagami tried to stop Kise. The blond smiled and came to a halt, pivoting on his right leg just as Kagami had earlier. Kise dunked the ball into the hoop. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing Kagami staring at him in disbelief.

"That…how did…" Kagami panted, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"You'll have to do better than that to defeat me," Kise stated as he picked up the basketball. He threw it at Kagami. "You wanna defeat the Generation of Miracles, don't you?"

Kagami tensed up and started dribbling the ball. Tetsumi sat down on the bench as the two circled one another, running left and right, faking every so often. Kise was better than he had been in middle school. He was faster, taller, and more agile. Kagami dribbled the ball between his legs as Kise tried to steal it. An opening came, and Kagami took it. Kise watched as the redhead darted across the court and went in for a lay-up. The blond chuckled and clapped his hands, praising Kagami for his tenacity.

"Play nice, Ki-kun," Tetsumi chided as Kise jogged by. He looked at her and winked, causing her to shake her head. Of all the boys, Kise was the flashy-showy one. Akashi was frequently annoyed by it, and the only thing saving Kise was his exceptional physical ability. Out of all the Generation of Miracles, Kise was the one with the least playing experience. No one would have ever assumed that by watching him play.

Kise and Kagami were at it again. They shuffled around the court. Tetsumi missed the tussle between players, the man-to-man plays. Kagami had a passion; Tetsumi could see it on his face and burning in his eyes. He was determined to defeat Kise, and she found it inspiring and electrifying.

"Kise can copy any move he sees," Tetsumi said as Kagami stood near her. He glanced at her with his scarlet eyes, and turned his attention back to Kise. "Anything you do, he can do it and make it his own."

Kagami and Kise went into it again. The redhead tried to get past him, but Kise met him at each turn and step. "Looks like you're all out of ideas," Kise said to Kagami, who narrowed his eyes and pushed past Kise. He was going in for a dunk. Tetsumi's eyes widened as he leapt into the air. She smiled, but it quickly went away as Kise blocked the shot.

_I've miscalculated. Even though I haven't seen them play in six months, Kise is proof enough that the Generation of Miracles abilities have greatly improved,_ Tetsumi thought.

"You go to Seirin, right?" Kise spun the basketball on his finger and beamed at Kagami.

"Yeah, what of it?" Kagami shot back.

The blond hurled the ball at him. Kagami caught it and narrowed his eyes at Kise, who shoved his hands in his pockets. "I've heard a rumor is all," the blond mused with a shrug. "Tetsucchi, you should come to Kaijo. Where the players are worth something."

Tetsumi looked down at the ground and clenched her fist. "What is it with you guys? You've taken too many basketballs to the head! I don't want to play basketball anymore, so enough already!"

Kise shrunk back, surprised by her outburst. He had heard from Akashi that Tetsumi had become hostile when it came to basketball. "Tetsucchi," Kise mumbled sadly.

Kagami looked to the girl then glanced down at her injured leg. It didn't take a genius to figure that her injury prevented her from playing any sport competitively. He looked to Kise and furrowed his brows. The way Kise had talked made it seem like Tetsumi had played with the Generation of Miracles. Kagami was intrigued by that notion. His own mentor was a woman, and he'd met many women that were great basketball players. To think that the petite girl before him could have played with the five Japanese basketball prodigies was fascinating.

"That's a waste of talent, Tetsucchi, and you know it," Kise said, but Tetsumi only shrugged. "I'm serious. I respect you, Tetsucchi. You should come to Kaijo."

She stared at him for a moment and sighed. "Did Akashi tell you to talk to me, Ki-kun?"

Kagami looked very confused, but the other two didn't seem to care at all.

"Even if he didn't, I still would have come to you on my own." Kise shrugged and stared at Tetsumi. His eyes were serious and his stance confident. "And if you don't want to play basketball anymore, Kuroko Tetsumi, then I don't know you."

She tensed, but quickly corrected herself. Tetsumi chuckled and shook her head, placing her hands on her hips. "You're right, Kise," she said harshly. "You don't know me, just like I don't know you."

Kagami pursed his lips. He had a lot of questions, but the tension between the Kise and Tetsumi was suffocating. The stark silence was eerie, Kagami felt like the two of them were going to kill each other by this point. For such a small person, Tetsumi sure did know how to hold her own. There wasn't a single drop of intimidation within her, she kept her head up and her eyes steeled.

"Good game, Kagami," Kise said, breaking his attention from Tetsumi. "Our practice game is taking place in two weeks, perhaps you'll be better prepared to handle me." With those words, Kise left quietly and Tetsumi sighed. First she had shot down Aomine, and now she had shot down Kise.

"So that's the power of the Generation of Miracles," Kagami said with a big smile on his face. It wasn't a smile of happiness, but a smile of determination and grit. Tetsumi stared at him as he started laughing. "Well, I'm amped up now." He looked at Tetsumi.

"Not to burst your bubble, but Kise is the weakest of the bunch," Tetsumi said plainly, causing Kagami's smile to fade.

"You don't say," he paused looking at Kise, who had nearly vanished from sight, "this is gonna be pretty damn exciting."

She liked his spirit—it was infectious.

"Did you play with them?" Kagami asked, turning his attention back to her.

"I did," she replied with a nod, and Kagami smirked. "What?"

"That's just…pretty impressive if you ask me, and you really held your own." Kagami shrugged, and Tetsumi chuckled.

"Ki-kun is hardly intimidating, he's far too nice," Tetsumi said. "You really wanna beat them don't you?"

"I will beat them," Kagami declared.

There was a time when the Generation of Miracles were like him. They were always looking for a new strong opponent to take down, but now they believed they were the best of the best. In their minds no one could beat them, which was why they went their separate ways. They wanted to see who was the best out of them. Tetsumi could only smile; Kagami would be the one to knock them down a peg.


	5. SEIRIN

**Author's Note:** Hi there you lovely readers! With this chapter, we will have met all five of the Generation of Miracles, yay! I hope everyone will enjoy this chapter, and again thanks to all the favorites and alerts I have been getting for this story. It makes me so happy when I see the numbers climbing higher and higher. You guys are awesome, enjoy the chapter! Also I have a little goal to get to 50 reviews by chapter 7, please help me get there!

**Special Thanks To: **Piczle, Lunary, Soma, TamashinoSuzume, TECKK, Guest, enchanted-nova, and SoulXHunter! I dedicate this chapter to you guys!

**Last Edited On: **February 22, 2016

* * *

**SEIRIN**

The shrill ear-splitting sound of the coach's whistle flooded the gymnasium. Tetsumi turned away, but her feet wouldn't move. Her brain told her 'turn back' and 'walk away now', but when she saw the basketball players practicing no force could make her move.

Tetsumi brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and faced the open door. She hoped someone or something would push her through the threshold. The coach was a girl—a second year student of Seirin High School. Tetsumi heard a few things about her around the campus, and if they were true; Seirin was lucky.

The claims were that she was the daughter of Aida Kagetora, who was once apart of the National Japanese Basketball Team. He owned a gym in the area and was one of the best trainers in Japan. Tetsumi had heard about him multiple times while she was in her rehabilitation stages, but she'd never met him. Many people around the school had mentioned that Riko was incredibly smart and gifted. She was just like her father, having the ability to look at an athlete and see their strongest and weakest points. Seirin had someone just like Momoi Satsuki, who could also analyze athletes with a single glance.

"Keep moving!" Riko shouted at the team, standing on the sidelines. "Let's move, let's move!" she commanded, waving her arm in a circular motion. The boys were covered in sweat and panted like dogs. Tetsumi watched as they ran from one end of the court to the other. It reminded her of her Teiko days where the coaches ran them into the ground.

After they ran four more stretches, Riko blew her whistle and half the team collapsed on the ground. Tetsumi stifled a laugh and spotted Kagami, hunched over with his hands on his knees. Sweat covered his muscled limbs and his attractive face, but Tetsumi shook those thoughts off.

It was like Kagami knew someone was watching. He straightened up and looked over at Tetsumi. She tensed and started to walk off, but Kagami called out to her. Tetsumi stopped mid-step and cursed under her breath. She closed her eyes and faced Kagami, but found he was not the only one looking at her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," Tetsumi explained, bowing to the team. "I was just passing by, so if you'll—"

"Come over here," Kagami said, waving her over.

"Kagami-kun! You don't have time to flirt!" Riko snapped at him, acting like she was about to hit him with a clipboard. The redhead stepped away from the small girl and told her to relax. Tetsumi took her chance get away, but Kagami stopped her.

"This is the girl that I told you about the other day," Kagami said, pulling Tetsumi into the gym. She felt very self-conscious as everyone eyed her like she was a zoo animal. Tetsumi yanked her arm free from Kagami's hold and glared at him viciously.

"It's rude to just grab someone," Tetsumi chided to the tall, burly basketball player.

"You played with the Generation of Miracles?" Hyuga Junpei, a second year adorned with glasses, asked skeptically as he stared down at Tetsumi. She was used to the disbelief, sometimes she couldn't believe it herself.

The Generation of Miracles were prodigies and elite basketball stars for their age. Tetsumi looked like a petite cheerleader rather than a basketball player. As it was she stood at five foot six in height, while most of the Generation of Miracles were over six foot with the exception of Akashi.

"Briefly," Tetsumi answered, causing Hyuga and the rest of the team to exchange looks with each other. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get to work."

"Wait," Kagami said, getting in her way. Tetsumi sighed and rolled her eyes. "He wanted you to join his team, but you refused. Why?" He stared at her, waiting for an answer.

In truth, Kagami had a fair and reasonable question. It was not his business at all, but Tetsumi knew it was fair to ask. When a Generation of Miracles member asks you to join their new team, most would jump at the chance. There were plenty of schools that reached out to the members their final year of middle school. Most high schools in Tokyo and the greater Tokyo area scouted for them. Tetsumi remembered the offers that poured in after every game to her teammates. There were even a few schools that tried to get more than one, but Akashi would never let that happen.

"Because I don't want to play anymore, so there is no point in transferring to a new school," Tetsumi replied and tried to walk around him, but Kagami cut her off. "Seriously?" she hissed, and he nodded slowly. Tetsumi's shoulders fell and she huffed, it appeared that she would be late to work again because of Kagami.

"What's your name?" Riko asked politely.

Tetsumi looked over to the young brunette coach. "Kuroko Tetsumi. I'm sure you know my story."

"Bits and pieces," Riko explained with a single nod. "My father told me about your injury."

The Seirin basketball team started whispering things among themselves. No one really knew Tetsumi's name, but they knew of the injury that happened during one of the biggest national tournaments for middle school basketball clubs. It didn't make a difference that she wasn't there. The Generation of Miracles had come into their own in their final year—without her. Each one of the boys started owning their talents, and Tetsumi was forgotten.

"Well," Tetsumi said softly, looking to each of the players and Riko. "It really makes no difference now, I don't want to play anymore."

"Your ex-teammate seems to think otherwise," Kagami pointed out.

Tetsumi turned to Kagami and crossed her arms over her chest. "Like I told him yesterday, he doesn't know me anymore."

"If you wanted to still play, could you?" Hyuga asked, gaining Tetsumi's attention.

"I guess," Tetsumi answered with a half-hearted shrug. "Again, I don't want to."

A boy slightly taller than her with grey eyes passed a ball to her. Tetsumi instinctively caught the ball, and looked at him curiously. "Humor us," Izuki Shun said to her with a small smile.

The rest of the team agreed, which made Tetsumi uncomfortable. It had been almost a year since she'd played basketball with anyone. There had been a few times where she had gone to shoot a few hoops by herself, but never with anyone around. To say the least, Tetsumi felt a little pressure. "Just a few shots, come on," Izuki said, nodding over to the court.

"What for?" Tetsumi asked, becoming defensive.

Kagami stole the ball from her hands and ran over to the hoop, dunking the ball into the net. Tetsumi stared at him in disbelief as he caught the ball and spun it on his finger. He was challenging her; she could pick that up easily. It was like he understood her, and that both scared and intrigued her. Kagami dribbled the ball, moving it between his legs and then around his back. His scarlet eyes were locked on her as she stared right back at him.

Tetsumi fought the urge within herself to play, but it was difficult. Kagami was bringing it out of her—something she thought was locked deep down inside. Here was a guy who loved basketball, and was holding the door open for her to love it again.

"First to make three," Tetsumi said. She knew that unless she played, Kagami wouldn't stop. It might not have been the best way to get him to back off, if anything it would probably make things worst. She pulled off her sweater and tossed it on a nearby bench.

Kagami watched as Tetsumi approached him. She looked at the ball, watching as it bounced up and down between his hand and the court floor. Kagami broke past her, and Tetsumi spun around taking off after him. He was about to position himself for a shot, but Tetsumi swiped at the ball. The redhead cursed as Tetsumi took the ball and went running back to the other end of the court. Due to his shock, Kagami fell behind and forced himself to move faster. For someone so short, Tetsumi could cover the court quickly.

"She's fast," Riko commented as she stood between Hyuga and Izuki, who both nodded in agreement. "And that steal was impressive."

Kagami caught up to Tetsumi, and blocked her. She pulled herself to a stop, used her left foot to turn her body around and spun around Kagami in a flash. By the time Kagami had made sense of everything and turned around, Tetsumi had bounced the ball off the glass and into the net.

"That's one," Tetsumi said, slightly out of breath. Kagami was awestruck, just a few days ago her leg was wrapped in a brace, but she played like nothing was wrong. His eyes drifted over to Riko, who seemed to be analyzing every movement that Tetsumi was making.

"You're better than I thought," Kagami admitted.

Tetsumi remained straight faced and tight lipped. She passed him the ball and again they went at it. She wasn't very aggressive defensively, but Kagami could see she was very calculating. The movements she made were not without reason. He crossed the ball over to his other hand and tried to get around her, but Tetsumi cut him off. "You're like your friend," he told her, but she didn't react.

Kagami broke past her, dunking the ball into the hoop. He landed on the ground and looked back at Tetsumi, who smirked. That's when he saw it, a fire in her eyes that had been doused before. It was shining bright, and Kagami could sense her competitiveness seeping out of her. The feeling was exciting, and he couldn't wait to see her next move. He passed her the ball and licked his lip, tasting the salty sweat.

"I'll admit, you're pretty good," Tetsumi said as she dribbled the ball and moved to the right side of the three-point line. Kagami followed her, observing her every move. "But you still have a long way to go to be the Generation of Miracles." She moved a few steps to her left and Kagami tried to get the ball.

Tetsumi looked to the rim of the basket, and Kagami prepared to block her shot. She crossed the ball over and raised her shoulders like she was going to shoot. The ball was tucked near her chest and just as she got into position, Kagami went in for a block. A smile appeared on Tetsumi's face as she crossed the ball back over to her right hand and moved around Kagami.

"Beautiful execution," Hyuga said as Tetsumi went for the shot, sinking it into the net. The swishing sound echoed in the room followed by the bouncing of the ball.

"That's two," Tetsumi said, turning to Kagami.

"For someone who doesn't want to play anymore, she sure is talented," Koganei, a cat like teen, stated as he rubbed the back of his neck. His silent and tall dark haired friend, Mitobe nodded in agreement as they watched the game. The redhead tried to make a shot, but Tetsumi kept the defensive pressure on.

Kagami faced Tetsumi head on, and he didn't intimidate her—even though he was nearly a foot taller than her. Riko watched Tetsumi move in closer, making Kagami uneasy. He would never show it, but his handling was getting a little sloppy. Riko realized that Tetsumi was watching the ball movements rather than Kagami.

"She's going to steal the ball," Riko whispered as she put her knuckle in her mouth.

Tetsumi went for the ball when Kagami turned in a defensive manner and pushed it to the ground. She reached around Kagami's back, keeping her body off of him. "Damn," Riko chuckled as Tetsumi pushed the ball out of Kagami's hand.

The team was shocked that Kagami had the ball stolen for a second time. He stumbled forward, nearly belly-flopping onto the ground. Tetsumi got the ball into her control and whirled around, going for a three-pointer. The ball arced in the air and fell into the hoop.

"And that's three," Tetsumi said with a smile, staring at Kagami. He stood before her with his mouth parted and eyes bulging from his head. "I did play with the Generation of Miracles for two years, my first and part of my second year. Unfortunately, my leg broke toward the end of the season during my second year. I was unable to play my final year and spent most of my time in the hospital for rehabilitation. In that time the boys became elitist in basketball, and no longer needed their sixth man…or woman in this case." She grabbed the basketball that rolled near Kagami's feet. She tossed the ball to him and shrugged.

"Why not play?" Hyuga asked, eyeing her with intrigue and amazement. "You're very talented, injury or not, you play like you've never stopped."

"At best I could play half a game, I'd be useless to any team." Tetsumi had this conversation many times with Aomine and Kise. Eight months into her recovery, Tetsumi was nearly 100 percent. The doctors gave her a green light to try practicing basketball. When she tried, one quarter in and she could feel the numb pain in her leg. The doctors assured her that it would take time to rebuild her strength, and they continued to work with her. Tetsumi didn't have the will to play anymore. The boys had become reigning champions, they became egotistical, they didn't care about teamwork, but most of all they didn't need her.

"You don't toss something aside just cause it got a little banged up," Kagami said. Tetsumi turned around to look at him. He smiled and shrugged as he approached her. "You took me on like I was nothing, so somewhere deep down you must love basketball."

"Well no offense, but you are terrible at reading people's movements," Tetsumi said flatly. Kagami's head hung between his shoulders. The rest of the Seirin team all laughed, but Tetsumi remained straight faced. In many ways he reminded her of the old Aomine, fun and goofy with a passion for basketball. "You're powerful, and there's raw talent, but until you can control that it won't mean a thing."

Kagami lifted his head and met her pretty cerulean eyes. He had to admit, she was a bit of a brat, but at least she was beautiful one. Normally, Kagami ignored most girls because he primarily cared about two things: basketball and food. Tetsumi was different though, he could see the broken girl inside that was trying to reignite her fire.

"Then teach me," Kagami said.

"Teach you?" Tetsumi repeated, blinking owlishly.

"I don't believe you when you say you don't want to play basketball," Kagami explained with a shrug. "Back there on that court," he pointed to the court they had been on moments ago, "I don't know if you realized it, but you were smiling. You wanted to play."

"Kagami-kun is right," Riko chimed. "I can't believe you don't want to play."

"Well I don't," Tetsumi muttered, but truthfully she kind of agreed with them. That sensation while she was playing for those few minutes made her the happiest she had been in a long time. " I have to go. Good luck," she said to the team and walked over to the bench to grab her sweater.

"Hey," Hyuga called when she reached the door. Tetsumi stopped and turned to the captain. "If you change your mind," he paused and looked at his teammates and Riko, "there's a place for you on Seirin's team." They agreed and gave her encouraging smiles, but they weren't pressuring her.

"Thanks," Tetsumi said with a smile and walked out of the gymnasium, leaving the team to finish their practice.

"So you still have some skills left in you," a familiar voice said the moment the door closed. Tetsumi stopped and closed her eyes, sighing heavily in frustration. "Can't say I'm surprised." The speaker pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Tetsumi stifled a laugh as she faced him. She'd never forget the green hair and light green eyes with the bandaged fingers.

"Rima-kun," Tetsumi greeted. "It's still too soon, old friend."

"Indeed," Midorima Shintaro, the shooting guard of the Generation of Miracles, agreed with a curt nod. In his bandaged hand, Midorima held a frog figurine. Tetsumi stared at it and laughed lightly. "What are you laughing at, Kuroko-san?" he asked.

"Back to Kuroko-san are we?" she asked with a roll of her eyes. "We're friends, Rima-kun. Even though you're weird with all your…horoscope stuff." She gestured to the frog in his hand.

"Are we friends?" he asked skeptically.

"Well if you aren't here to tell me to join whatever school you're at we will be," Tetsumi explained as she started walking down the path. Midorima pursed his lips and caught up with her. "So who sent you? Dai-kun? Ki-kun? Sei-kun? A combination of the three?" She shook her head, already knowing where the conversation was going.

"None of the above," Midorima replied.

Tetsumi came to a halt. She knew Murasakibara wouldn't have told him to come, and Midorima wouldn't have come on his own. The two of them typically got along well back in middle school. Tetsumi always thought Midorima was silly with all his horoscope stuff. At the same time though, Midorima always seemed to play better on his supposed 'lucky' days.

"Then why are you here? To see my smiling face?" Tetsumi joked.

"No, according to your horoscope: A time for change is upon you, something you loved in the past will be coming back into your future," Midorima recited, causing Tetsumi to furrow her brows. "And I suppose it's right on the money." He stood beside her, staring with calculating eyes.

"Just because I played a little basketball back there doesn't mean things are going to change," Tetsumi commented. She couldn't play basketball, not like she used to. Her leg and knee couldn't handle the competitive play anymore. Something inside of her was brewing, something telling her she had to go back to playing. What Kagami had told her before she left was right; she was having fun, more fun than she had had in a long time. Of course, she couldn't let Midorima know his unconventional horoscopes might be right.

"I'm not asking for anyone else, I'm asking merely cause I'm curious," Midorima began, "Tetsumi-chan do you want to play basketball again?"

"Honestly," Tetsumi said. "I do, but you know that I can't play."

"And why not?" Midorima challenged. Tetsumi raised a brow, it wasn't like him delve into these kinds of things. Although, when Tetsumi thought about it, Midorima was the only one who always helped her no matter what the problem was. He would deny it up and down that he wasn't helping, but in reality he was. "It seems to me the only one stopping you from playing again is yourself." He placed his finger on her forehead and pushed her back lightly, causing her to stumble.

"Rima-kun!" she hissed when she caught her balance. "You boys just don't quit do you? Why can't you all just let me do what I want?"

"Because you want to play basketball, Tetsumi-chan," Midorima sighed in annoyance, pushing his glasses up. "I'm not telling you to join my team or any of the others, but I am going to tell you to play."

Tetsumi looked at Midorima as he stared right back at her. He was always the best when it came to approaching touchy subjects. She giggled and shook her head, wanting to hug the shooting guard. If she did hug him though, he'd probably freak out and push her away.

"Well thanks for the little pep talk, Rima-kun," Tetsumi muttered as she turned on her heels. "I will consider your silly horoscope, but again what I decide to do is my own choice. So be sure to pass that along to Sei-kun." She lifted a hand in the air and waved, leaving Midorima standing alone with his frog at the Seirin High School gates.

The green-haired teen snorted as he watched her walk away. If she weren't so good at basketball, Midorima probably wouldn't care about her at all. With a soft sigh, Midorima smiled and turned around to leave.

"Oi! Shin-chan!" someone hollered in frustration. Midorima stared blankly at his teammate, Takao Kazunari. The silver-eyed point guard for Shutoku glared at Midorima as he pedal up on rickshaw. "You left me in the middle of that traffic jam! Do you know how embarrassing that was?" Takao clamored as he stopped in front of Midorima.

"Let's head back, Takao." Midorima climbed into the rickshaw like vehicle and sat down while Takao grumbled a few choice words of annoyance.


	6. PROMISES

**Author's Note:** Hello beautiful readers! Thank you all so much for your continued support on this story, also I would like to apologize for any and all my typos. So I bring forth the next chapter, but before you go read it, I have a question for all of you guys! My question is, are there any other pairings you'd like to see in this story? Aomine, Tetsumi, and Kagami's love triangle will be the main pairing, but I was thinking about have a couple of side pairings. So leave a comment on any pairings you'd like to see in this story. Enjoy the chapter everyone!

**Special Thanks To: **cocobobo10, I ate fruit loops this morning, Piczle, Soma, enchanted-nova, Guest, SoulXHunter, and Lunary! You guys are awesome!

**Last Edited On: **February 23, 2016

* * *

**PROMISES**

Tetsumi sat up in her bed. She raked her lithe fingers through her hair and gripped it. She had another bad dream—a bad memory. Tetsumi released her hair and glanced at her leg covered by the comforter. There was a tingle in her leg, it happened sometimes when she remembered her injury. Sometimes she could still feel the snapping of her bone, the rip of her ACL, and the endless fall to the ground when she was crippled by pain. She swallowed and pulled the comforter from her body. The scar from her surgery was there, but it was faint.

A breath escaped her. Tetsumi swung her legs to the edge of the bed. When her feet touched the ground, Tetsumi took in a deep breath and stood. There usually wasn't any pain in her leg unless she was doing something strenuous. Her doctor had told her that sometimes her mind could play tricks on her. Tetsumi had noticed that it normally happened during her sleep.

After a few minutes, the pain went away like it had never even happened. She shook her head and grabbed her basketball shoes on the top shelf of her cramped closet. Her eyes glanced at the clock on her nightstand: 1:46AM. Her mother would be asleep, and her father was still on his business trip. There wasn't any school tomorrow, so it wouldn't be a big deal if she went for a little walk.

Tetsumi quietly crossed the living room and crept out of her apartment. Cool spring air met her face as she put on her shoes. She wasn't sure where she was going; she just started walking in a direction. Everything around her blurred as her mind focused on basketball. It was so noisy in her head; she just wanted it to stop. Tetsumi sighed as she replayed the events of her injury over and over again.

A tingling pain started to consume her leg. She stopped mid-step and closed her eyes, trying to ignore it. As she stood on the sidewalk in the yellowish light from the street lamp, Tetsumi heard Midorima's words echoing in her mind.

_"It seems to me the only one stopping you from playing again is yourself."_

Tetsumi huffed; the voice of reason always fogged her mind. Out of all the boys, Midorima was the only one who used reason on a logical level. The other boys stopped practicing basketball once their abilities bloomed, but Midorima continued to practice and train. He was still self-centered like the others, but Tetsumi gave him credit for continuing to practice regardless of his skill set.

She heard a familiar sound.

"A basketball?" She looked to the park across the street. She thought maybe her mind was playing tricks on her, but the echo of the basketball was real. It was nearly two in the morning; most places were closed for the night.

Tetsumi made her way across the street to the park. She walked down the path leading to the basketball courts. The bouncing basketball got louder and a moment later the swishing of the net traveled through the trees. A small smile crept on Tetsumi's face; she always loved the sound of a swishing net.

A tall silhouette on the court moved beautifully in the dim lighting. Tetsumi stopped and watched the figure dribble the ball, cross it over behind their back, and shot it. The net swished again as the orange ball sunk through. The figure grabbed the ball and stood beneath the net, rolling the ball off his fingertips.

Tetsumi titled her head and walked closer. Before she got into the light of the court, she stopped. Of all the people she anticipated to be playing basketball at two in the morning, Aomine Daiki was not one of them. It was even more odd that he had come all the way over to this court, when there was a basketball court at his apartment complex. She pressed her lips together and was about to leave, but she stayed.

It had been a long time since she'd seen Aomine playing basketball. She watched him for a few more minutes as he played like he was the only person in the world. He went in for lay-ups, jump shots, three-pointers, and did a few hook shots. The way he played wasn't the way he used to play. Aomine was always smiling and laughing when he played, but now he was devoid of all emotions.

Aomine shot the ball one last time. It bounced off the glass and into the net. When the ball hit the ground, Aomine stayed at the top of the key. He let out a heavy sigh and laid on the ground, staring at the sky. Tetsumi wondered what he was doing, but remained in the shadows. The blue haired player laid his arm across his face and bent his knees.

"Dai-kun," Tetsumi whispered.

The basketball rolled to the entrance of the court. Tetsumi stared at it for what seemed like hours. She let her shoulders fall and walked over to the entrance. Tetsumi tiptoed, hoping not to gain Aomine's attention. As she leaned over to get the ball, she glanced at Aomine. He hadn't noticed her yet, but that was her specialty. If Tetsumi didn't want to be noticed, she wouldn't be. Akashi was the one who told her that she had a unique gift. He said that for being so small, being a girl among a bunch of boys, and her natural ability to be unnoticed gave her an advantage on the court.

Tetsumi walked to the far corner of the three point line and shot the ball. The ball fell through the net and hit the ground. Aomine sat up, his steely blue eyes falling on Tetsumi. She didn't look at him as she dropped her arms from her shooting form.

"Tetsu?" Aomine questioned as he got to his feet, dusting himself off in the process. "What are you doing here?"

She chuckled. "That's my line, Dai-kun. This is my court." Tetsumi walked across the court to pick up the basketball. She grabbed it and passed it to Aomine. He caught it with ease, and rested the ball against his hip.

"Courts are for people who play," Aomine shot back, causing Tetsumi to scowl.

"Don't start with me, Aomine Daiki!" she snapped. "I'm willing to play nice right now, don't screw it up."

The dark-skinned teen snickered and passed the ball to Tetsumi. She caught it and stared him down for a few moments. Back in middle school, Aomine and Tetsumi played basketball even after practice. He was the one who taught her how to shoot effectively. If it weren't for Aomine, she probably wouldn't have even been noticed by Akashi in the first place. It was true that Akashi had asked the coach to give her a chance, but it was Aomine who improved her fundamental skills.

"You and all the boys taught me how to play basketball," Tetsumi said as she dribbled the ball. She made her way to him and stopped dribbling. "But you guys don't play the basketball you taught me to play." With a steady hand, Tetsumi held the ball in her palm and looked into Aomine's eyes.

He reached for the ball, but Tetsumi flicked it up in the air. When it came back down, she grabbed it and spun around him. Squaring her shoulders, Tetsumi took the shot before Aomine tried to block. The ball arced high in the air and fell through the net. When the ball hit the ground, Aomine swiped the ball and turned back to Tetsumi.

"So because we don't play the same way, you don't want to play anymore?" Aomine asked her with a raised brow.

"No," Tetsumi said with a shake of her head. "I don't play anymore because I can't. I don't want to play with you boys anymore because you don't play like we used to." She shrugged and looked at the basketball hoop across the way. When they were younger, Aomine and herself would spend hours on the court.

"There isn't anyone out there as good as us, me in particular," Aomine stated firmly, causing Tetsumi to roll her eyes. "The only one who can be me—"

"Is you," Tetsumi finished with a sigh. "You're something else, Dai-kun."

"No one can beat me, Tetsu," he said again. "You remember that. No one put forth effort because I was just too good, because our team was the best of the best. So what's the point in it all?"

"You're such a hypocrite!" Tetsumi scolded. She stole the ball away from him and took a shot. The ball bounced off the glass and into the net, falling into Aomine's arms.

"How the hell am I a hypocrite?" he asked her as he walked over to the three-point line and made an effortless shot. It hit the rim and Tetsumi caught it as it fell, making a hook shot out of it.

"You come to my house telling me to play basketball, but here you are pissing and moaning about how no one's good enough to take you on? You don't even play because you love basketball anymore; you play because you're good at it. So what's wrong with me not playing because I don't want too? You want me to be like you? Play just cause I was good at it?" Tetsumi bombarded with a fire in her eyes. "It's hypocritical of you to come here and tell me to play basketball because I love it, when you don't play because you love it." Tetsumi placed her hands on her hips and walked over to a nearby bench. She took a seat on and stared at her white basketball shoes. A cool spring wind blew through the park, piercing through the thin fabric of her pajamas. Tetsumi shivered and hugged her body for warmth.

Aomine took off his black blazer that had the words Tōō stitched in red on the back. He draped his blazer over Tetsumi's small frame and sat beside her. She muttered a thank you as she slipped her arms through the sleeves. The blazer was far too big for her. Aomine couldn't help but smile at her. She glanced at him and rolled her eyes, playfully hitting him with the excess amount of sleeve. He chuckled and placed the ball between his feet, resting his elbows on his knees and stared ahead.

"I just want you to play again, Tetsumi," Aomine admitted after a few moments of silence.

"And I want you and all the boys to play like we used too," she replied, meeting his eyes. "But sometimes, we don't get what we want." Tetsumi looked away from Aomine and leaned back against the second level of benches.

"What does that even mean? Play like we used to?" Aomine asked as he used the toe of his shoe to kick the ball straight up. He caught the ball and rested it in his lap.

"When we played like a team, when winning or losing didn't matter. We only wanted to have fun and get better because we loved basketball." Tetsumi pressed her lips together, knowing Aomine would blow off her answer. This wasn't the first time she had this talk with him. Last time he scoffed and told her she was being ridiculous.

"Now who's being a hypocrite?" Aomine asked, catching Tetsumi off guard. He looked at her and laughed boastfully, standing onto his feet. As he walked to the free throw line, Aomine took a shot and the ball went straight into the basket. "Playing basketball because we love it? You love basketball and you aren't playing anymore, you aren't about improving your game. So don't sit there and call me a hypocrite when you are no different, Tetsumi."

That struck a nerve inside of her. He was right; she wasn't any better about it.

"You promised you would still come to practice, you promised you'd go to every game," Aomine said, pointing at her accusingly. She flinched at his words and looked away. "And the worse part about all of it…you promised you would play again." He picked up the basketball and stared at Tetsumi, waiting for her to say or do something.

"If I play again, what then?" she asked, meeting his eyes.

Aomine tossed the ball aside and walked to Tetsumi. He knelt down in front of her and placed a hand on her cheek. She closed her eyes at the warmth of his calloused hand. Aomine rested his forehead against hers, their breaths mixing together.

"Then maybe you could remind me what it was like to play your basketball," he whispered into her ear, and kissed the side of her head. Tetsumi felt her heartbeat racing as Aomine brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and stood up. "Come on, I'll walk you home." He held his hand out to her, and Tetsumi smiled as she placed her hand in his. When he pulled her up, Aomine let go of her hand and ran over to pick up his basketball.

"Dai-kun," Tetsumi said. He looked at her when he grabbed the ball. "I'm sorry for how I reacted last week, I was just…upset about how everything turned out."

"It's okay," Aomine said as they started walking. "Even though you got mad for stupid reasons, I forgive you."

Tetsumi stopped and glared at him as she crossed her arms. He couldn't just let it slide. She finally thought he was coming around, but he went back to his self-righteous egotistical self. Aomine stopped after a few steps and looked back at her with a quizzical expression.

"Stupid reasons?" Tetsumi repeated with annoyance. "Why would you say that?"

"You don't want to be friends anymore because you're mad that I don't play basketball the way I used too, kinda stupid reason to stop being friends, Tetsu." Aomine shrugged his shoulders and started walking again, leaving Tetsumi aggravated.

"I said that because I was mad at you! Not because I wanted to stop being friends with you!" Tetsumi snapped. "I was mad because you changed, you didn't need me anymore. None of you needed me!" Her eyes were welling up with tears.

Aomine regretted how he approached the situation. Midorima was the one who was good at delicate situations; Aomine just said what he thought with no censoring.

"Tetsumi," Aomine said as he turned around and approached her. He was about to touch her shoulder, but she slapped his hand away. His eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't—"

"Save it," Tetsumi said, holding her hand up for him to stop. She shook her head and let her hand fall to her side. A single tear slipped from her eye, and Aomine felt crushed. Never had he ever been the reason that Tetsumi cried, that he knew of. She peeled off his blazer and shoved it at him. "If you don't care about basketball anymore that's fine. If you don't care about the teamwork and friendship we all once had, that's fine too. But it's not fine with me, and someway…somehow, I'm going to make all of you remember why you love basketball." With those words, Tetsumi walked away and Aomine didn't follow her.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Riko sat in her class, thinking of new plays they could use against Kaijo High School. She had watched several plays that Kaijo had done in the past, but she knew very little about their newest member Kise Ryota. There were plenty of speculations on the blond all-rounder, but Riko wanted concrete evidence. Kagami had mentioned that he was fast and copied his moves; he'd even mentioned that Tetsumi had said he could learn a move just by watching it once. Riko worried about that little bit of information, they would need to have multiple plays at their disposal to keep Kise guessing.

"Riko-san," Tetsumi's voice came, startling the shorthaired brunette. She whipped around and smiled as Tetsumi stood beside her desk.

"Oh, Tetsumi-san, you startled me. I didn't even know you were there," Riko said with a light-hearted laugh. Normally Riko was receptive to people coming to her desk. Tetsumi had a real gift of moving around without people taking notice. "Did you need something?" Riko asked as she cleaned up her desk.

"Do you guys have practice today?" Tetsumi asked, which surprised Riko.

"Yes, we'll be practicing every day until the Kaijo practice game in a couple weeks." Riko nodded her head as she spoke, and Tetsumi took in a deep breath. "Is everything okay?"

"If you want to beat Ki-kun, you'll need my help to do it," Tetsumi informed her as she sat down in the empty desk beside Riko's. The brunette blinked a few times, taken aback by what Tetsumi was saying. A few days ago, Tetsumi had made it clear she couldn't really play, nor did she want too. "I can't guarantee you'll win, but I can give you a fighting chance." She looked into Riko's eyes, and the older girl smiled brightly.

"Any help is better than none," Riko told her. "Practice starts at four."

Tetsumi nodded and stood from the desk. She looked down at Riko and was about to say something, but closed her mouth. First she wanted to see what Seirin had at their disposal before spouting any information about the Generation of Miracles. With a small bow, Tetsumi excused herself from Riko's classroom and hurried off to her class before the lunch break came to an end.

When Tetsumi arrived in her classroom, she pulled out her phone. She went to her contacts and found Akashi's name. She typed a message to him. Part of her argued that if she accepted the oath, there would be no turning back. The other half of her said she had to do it, because she had to make them remember how to love basketball. If all they cared about was winning they would gain nothing. Basketball had more to offer than just winning games. It was because of basketball they had all become friends, and that was important too.

**To:** Akashi Seijuro

**From:** Kuroko Tetsumi

**Message: **Okay, Sei-kun. I'll play your little game.

Tetsumi hit the send button and closed her phone. She sighed softly, knowing the moment Akashi read that message he would get that devilish smirk on his face and throw a shogi piece into the air.

Her cerulean eyes drifted to the door when it opened, showing the tall redhead she'd played basketball with. Kagami looked at Tetsumi and smiled before taking his seat in front of her. She was about to say something, but her phone vibrated.

**To:** Kuroko Tetsumi

**From:** Akashi Seijuro

**Message:** I have very high expectations, Tetsumi. Don't disappoint me.

Tetsumi stared at the message for several minutes before closing her phone. She dropped it into her bag and gazed out the window. She only had a few months to prepare Seirin and herself for the Winter Cup. On November 7th, the tournament would begin. If she planned on showing the Generation of Miracles what teamwork and fighting spirit were, Seirin would need to work hard.

"Kagami-kun," Tetsumi mused, and the redhead lifted his head up from the desk. "Kagami-kun."

He turned to look at her. "What is it?"

"Why do you like basketball so much?" she inquired, looking into his eyes.

Kagami stared at her in confusion before rubbing the back of his neck. He shrugged and stifled a laugh saying, "The reason I like basketball and playing basketball is because I can compete with lots of strong opponents. Life is about challenges and rising to face those challenges." When Kagami met Tetsumi's eyes, she smiled and nodded in agreement.

"That's a good answer, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi said.

"Why are you asking me that?" he inquired with a raised brow.

The truth was she wanted to know where he stood. His reason for playing would determine how hard he would be willing to work. He declared he would become the best player in Japan, and he would prove it by defeating the Generation of Miracles. Tetsumi wanted someone with that kind of drive, because she wouldn't be able to defeat them by herself. Kagami would need help too, he was skilled and he had heart, but he would need a team to support him.

"I just wanted to know how important it was to you," she replied, brushing her hair behind her ear. Kagami stared at her in a dubious fashion, but didn't question her any further.

He went to turn around in his seat, but stopped and looked back at her. "Why do you like basketball so much?"

Tetsumi pursed her lips and glanced out the window for a few seconds. "Same reason as you I guess," she mused, but deep down she had a well thought out answer.

"Then you should play again," Kagami said.

Tetsumi chuckled and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. "Maybe you're right."


	7. TEAMWORK

**Author's Note:** Hi, hi readers! You guys are the best readers ever! I actually made it to the goal of 50 comments by chapter seven and it's all thanks to you guys for commenting and putting this story on your favorites and alerts list. Thank you all so much, I can't wait to see what is to come with this story.

**Special Thanks To: **TECKK, SoulXHunter, SimplyRandomStuffz, Soma, Piczle, enchanted-nova, invisible-gurl, cocobobo10, chuuichu,Lunary, and Guest! It's thanks to you guys we made 50 comments! Thank you!

**Last Edited On: **February 29, 2016

* * *

**TEAMWORK**

Tetsumi combed her hair into a high ponytail and tied it with a black band. It had been a long time since she had gotten ready for a practice. When school had ended, Tetsumi had tracked Riko down and asked her not to say anything to the team. She wasn't exactly ready to play, but she did want to watch. Back in her Teiko days, she spent a lot of time with Akashi and Nijimura her first year strictly watching plays. They rarely had her play in any games, but she did participate in practices. Nijimura often told her that she had a knack for coming up with good plays that were both defensive and offensive.

_It's unfortunate we never got to play together, Nijimura-senpai, _she thought with a sigh_. _Just before the end of their first year, Nijimura named Akashi the captain. Everything started changing from that point on.

Akashi approached Tetsumi and said that as the newly made captain, he wanted Tetsumi to start playing in actual games. It came with a catch—

she had to prove she deserved a spot on the first string. Over the break, Aomine and Tetsumi practiced every day until the start of the new school year.

At the first practice, Tetsumi showed her knew skills of stealing the ball and passing the ball. The coaches and Akashi were shocked by her ability to become nearly invisible to anyone on the court. She hardly held onto the ball for longer than a second, but she moved the ball where it needed to be without hesitation.

If Akashi had it his way, passing and stealing would have been all Tetsumi ever did. Aomine had other plans for her. He believed that if there came a time when she couldn't pass to someone, she needed to be able to shoot.

Tetsumi stifled a laugh. When she first took a shot, she missed it and all Aomine said was, "Maybe Akashi has the right idea." At first Tetsumi was distraught, but those boys were better at basketball than she was. Her talents were moving around the court unnoticed. Aomine stuck with her, teaching her the basics of shooting a ball. She started picking it up, and Akashi decided to let her continue learning. He even had Midorima improve her accuracy, but he told her that she should mainly focus on getting the ball where it needed to be.

_Maybe I should have listened, right Sei-kun?_ Tetsumi thought bitterly as she started bandaging her leg. When it felt comfortable, Tetsumi bent her knee a few times. Dressed in a simple white tank top with a baby blue sports bra beneath it and matching baby blue shorts, Tetsumi left the girl's locker room.

She came out into the main hall leading to the gym; she could already hear Riko coaching the team. It brought a smile to Tetsumi's face; it was just like the old days at Teiko. Tetsumi reached the door to the basketball court, and remained hidden to watch. They were having a practice game. Tetsumi observed as Hyuga made a three-pointer. She pursed her lips and turned her attention to one of the first years: Furihata Koki. He had the ball and appeared freaked out when all the second years moved in offensively.

Kagami ran up on his left side, calling out his name and the brunette passed the ball. Tetsumi followed the ball into Kagami's hands and watched him preform a lay-up. She continued to inspect the game, reading the players moves. From what she could tell this team was highly offensive. Hyuga had an impressive shooting ability from the three-point line, probably more impressive than her own. Kagami was powerful; he could probably rip through most teams' defense. Her eyes drifted to the silent, but tall Mitobe. He was guarding Kagami and putting on lots of pressure.

Tetsumi glanced at the scoreboard. Her eye twitched, the first years were twenty points behind the second years. She didn't think that the Seirin was that divided as a team. A five-point difference was one thing, but twenty points behind in the middle of the second quarter was not good. She sighed and walked into view of the team.

"Time out!" Hyuga shouted. He wiped the sweat off his brow and made his way over to Tetsumi. "Riko mentioned you'd come by."

"I'd like to observe," Tetsumi said before anyone could start jumping to conclusions. Her confidence in playing just wasn't there, and she didn't want to be a burden. For the time being, Tetsumi thought it'd be best to help from the sidelines.

"Of course," Hyuga agreed with a nod. He was about to say something when he heard the first year bickering on the other side of the court. The captain looked over and glared, shaking his head. "So much for teamwork," he muttered as Kagami grabbed Furihata by his shirt collar and lifted him from the ground. "Seems like…Kuroko-san?" Hyuga turned and watched Tetsumi quietly walk over to Kagami.

When Tetsumi was behind Kagami, she lifted her foot and pushed her toe into the back of Kagami's leg. His knee bent, and he let go of Furihata. His eyes darkened as he whipped around to yell, but saw Tetsumi. He blinked and gritted his teeth.

"What's the big idea?" Kagami growled with a clenched fist as he towered over the petite girl.

"Please calm down," she said simply.

Kagami snorted. "You little—"

The coach's whistle pierced the air and everyone flinched. "Kagami-kun stop picking on the others," Riko scolded. "Tetsumi-san, thanks for coming." She smiled at the girl, who nodded in response.

"I only intended to watch, but allow me to assist the first years," Tetsumi said as she tightened her ponytail. Riko and Hyuga exchanged looks. They agreed and Tetsumi nodded, looking to the group of first years. "If you would, just pass me the ball." Tetsumi regarded all the first years and smiled before walking back toward the top of the key to defend against Hyuga.

"Just so you know, we're not bad," Hyuga said before they started.

"I never said you were," Tetsumi replied with a shrug as she turned her back to Hyuga and faced Kawahara. Riko gave them the signal to begin, and Kawahara dribbled as Koganei tried to stop him. Tetsumi glanced at Hyuga and moved to the right side of Kawahara. He saw her and passed it in her direction.

The moment Tetsumi's hand touched the ball she redirected it toward Furihata. When he caught the ball, he looked surprised. Dribbling a few times, he jumped and tossed the ball into the hoop, scoring a point for the first years.

"I didn't even see that pass," Hyuga gaped before his eyes turned to Tetsumi. "How the hell did she do that?"

"Stay sharp, Captain," Izuki said as they started playing. Hyuga shook off his confusion and concentrated. When he was passed the ball, Hyuga started dribbling to move a little closer. Tetsumi reached from behind and pushed the ball out of his hands. Hyuga gasped as Tetsumi swiped at the ball with her other hand and passed it to Fukuda.

"Shoot it, idiot!" Kagami hollered from the other side of the three-point line. Fukuda nodded and took the shot, sinking it into the net. "Alright! That's what I'm talking about!"

"She changes the whole dynamic," Riko thought as she watched with wide eyes from the sideline. It was in those few short moments that Riko realized just how vital Tetsumi could be. The players hardly seemed to notice her as she weaved around the court. Even though they knew how well she could play, they didn't acknowledge her. Riko bit her lip as she continued to watch Tetsumi move the ball around the court, bringing the twenty-point gap to a ten-point gap. In a span of four minutes, Tetsumi had put a stop to the second years dominating plays.

"I can see why she was the sixth man of Teiko," Izuki said as he stopped by Riko, watching as the first years took another two points. "She draws no attention to herself and just moves the ball in a matter of seconds." He shook his head and chuckled.

"It's really something," Riko said softly. "Get back in the game, Izuki-kun!" she commanded realizing he wasn't helping. He laughed and ran off before Riko could hit him with her clipboard.

* * *

-###-

* * *

The practice game between the first years and second years ended with shocking results. Tetsumi had managed to level the playing field. The first years had won by four points, which had impressed and surprised the second years. Before Tetsumi had come on, the first years couldn't keep it together. When she entered the court, she put the ball in all the right places. It was clear that if Tetsumi played for their team, she could give them the boost they needed.

"Kuroko-san," Hyuga said after she managed to get away from the excited first years. She turned to him and smiled as he came to her. "I know you said you don't play anymore, but we could really use you. You completely turned the game around, and your passing is impeccable."

Tetsumi stared at Hyuga and looked down at the ground. She had to admit playing with them had been fun. Tetsumi lifted her gaze and noticed the whole Seirin team was circling them. She laughed and brushed a stray strand of hair from her face.

"I don't know," Tetsumi admitted, a hint of fear in her voice. Kagami noticed and walked to her. He placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She looked up at him and bit her lip. "I'd love to, but—"

"No, if you wanna play. You should, end of story," Kagami told her as he removed his hand from her shoulder. After he had calmed down during their practice, he proved that he was extremely talented. Tetsumi even doubted her words that she had said to him last week. The way he played; his maneuvers were not that of a novice player. She had a feeling that if they coordinated, they would be able to at least fight back against the Generation of Miracles. She already accepted Akashi's challenge—she really had no other choice, but to join Seirin.

"Your injury didn't seem to bother you," Riko chimed in a few moments later. Everyone looked to Tetsumi's leg and she nodded in agreement. "If you're careful, I don't think it would be a problem."

"Well," Tetsumi began. "I guess—"

"No, guessing," Kagami interrupted, and Tetsumi elbowed him in the ribs. The redhead yelped and grabbed a hold of his side, leaning over slightly. "The hell was that for you brat?" Kagami sneered as he straightened and rubbed the sore spot.

"Stop telling me what to do!" Tetsumi hissed at him, and he chuckled. She stomped on his foot, and Kagami yelped again hopping up and down before limping away from her. "Geez…you're like Ki-kun and Aomine rolled into one." She shook her head and placed her hands on her hips.

"Don't insult me now," a voice came from the opposite end of the court. The team all turned to look as a tall figure walked in and pulled a hood off of his head. Blond locks fell into shimmering golden eyes as Kise Ryota walked up. He smiled and bowed his head to greet everyone. "Akashicchi mentioned you changed your mind. I wanted to come see that for myself." Kise shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie.

"Oh good, the pretty boy is here," Kagami snorted, causing Kise to glance at him and smirk. "What do you want?" he asked.

"Well our match is next week, and when I got word that Tetsucchi was going to be participating I had to come over here and negotiate," Kise explained with a shrug and looked back to Tetsumi.

"Negotiate what exactly?" Tetsumi asked, crossing her arms.

"Seirin giving you to Kaijo, of course," Kise replied with a smile. The Seirin team gasped in shock, but Tetsumi remained straight faced. If Kise had found out she agreed to Akashi's little game that meant all the boys knew. Kise looked to the captain and coach, saying, "So give us Tetsu-cchi."

"Cut the theatrics, Ki-kun," Tetsumi chided. "I don't want to play on your team or any of the others team. Just as you five have changed, I have too."

"Tetsucchi, you were my trainer back in Teiko," Kise began, placing a hand on Tetsumi's shoulder. "You were the one who taught me not to give up." He smiled at her.

"I can't join your team, Ki-kun," she said firmly, causing Kise to frown. "Let it be known, I will help Kagami-kun and this team beat the Generation of Miracles." Kise's eyes widened as Tetsumi gestured to the team standing behind her. He smirked and regained his cool and collected composure.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to prove it to you on the court what a mistake you are making," Kise said confidently, causing Seirin to glare at him. "Either way though, I'm glad you are playing again, Tetsucchi."

Tetsumi—though small—walked up to Kise and punched him in the stomach. Kise gasped and grabbed his stomach. His eyes filled with tears as he frowned at Tetsumi. He straightened, and Tetsumi shook her head.

"You're a lot like Kasamatsu-senpai, so mean and abusive," Kise muttered mostly to himself.

"I'm going to have to ask you to not say mean things about my teammates, Ki-kun," Tetsumi said as she patted the side of his face. The blond chuckled and grabbed her hand, pulling her closer to him. "Don't get hands-y with me." She stomped on his foot and Kise yelped, letting her go.

"I guess there is no changing your mind then," Kise said.

"Not even a little," Tetsumi replied, causing Kise to laugh. "We'll see you on the court, Ki-kun." The blond nodded his head and eyed the members of Seirin. He had to give them credit, they didn't look like much, but he knew Tetsumi would change that. His golden eyes flicked over to Kagami, who stood behind Tetsumi.

"You guys are really lucky," Kise said, his eyes locked on Kagami. "Tetsucchi is an extraordinary basketball player." With those words, Kise quietly left the gym.

When the doors closed, Tetsumi sighed in relief. She turned around to face Seirin, who were all smiling. Tetsumi blushed, and rubbed her cheek with a finger.

"So you're really going to join the team?" Koganei asked, knowing it was the question on everyone's mind.

"Yes," Tetsumi replied. She turned to Kagami and looked at him with a fire in her eyes. "I will help you beat the Generation of Miracles. I shall be your shadow on the court." The redhead smirked and nodded in approval.

* * *

-###-

* * *

They trained hard. Every day and all weekend long; Seirin practiced every play they had over two dozen times. Riko had built quite the regiment to train them and prepare them for the match with Kaijo. She had been lucky enough to get a glimpse of Kise and see his ability. When she had scanned him, she couldn't get much since he was fully clothed, but she could see his legs were strong and his height was going to be challenging. It was also known that Kaijo was becoming one of the most powerful basketball teams in Tokyo.

"You look worried, Riko," Hyuga said as he sat down on the bench next to her. He took a towel and dabbed the sweat from his brow. The brunette beside him shook her head and assured him it was just the opposite. He gave her a quizzical look and asked, "Excited?"

"Hyuga-kun if we beat Kaijo, that will put us on the map," Riko told him with a smile and watched the team practicing a play. Hyuga smiled back and nodded his head in agreement. Last year Seirin had done well until they lost their star player. His eyes glanced to Kagami and Tetsumi, who were talking at the half-court mark. They were lucky to get such a powerful duo. Tetsumi and Kagami were learning to coordinate with one another, and if they kept at it their teamwork would be seamless.

"We'll win the Inter-High this year," Hyuga said, and Riko looked at him as he stood up. "We have one hell of a team."

"Yeah we do," Riko agreed as Hyuga ran back out to the court and started telling the players they were going to run a defensive play. Just as they were starting, Tetsumi walked over to Riko and sat down. "Is your leg okay?" Riko asked as Tetsumi unscrewed the bottle cap to her water.

"I'm not playing like I used too," Tetsumi said, taking a sip of her water. "I don't want to risk it. I'll do what I do best, passing the ball." She put her water bottle down.

"I will admit, your stealing and passing of the ball is some of the best I've ever seen," Riko told her, and Tetsumi smiled. "But if you can shoot the ball, I encourage you to do it."

"I'm afraid that would only weaken my leg," Tetsumi said softly as she rubbed her bandaged leg. "The Generation of Miracles used my passing ability to keep the ball moving, I was hardly ever used for shooting."

"How did you get that injury?" Riko asked, gesturing to Tetsumi's leg.

"By trying to score," Tetsumi mumbled, and Riko frowned. "It essentially ruined my career of basketball." The girl shrugged and looked at the team as they played on the court. Kagami dunked the ball, and Tetsumi smiled, as he got overly excited about scoring.

"Are you scared to take shots now when playing with a team?" Riko asked her, trying to gain some insight. If Tetsumi could find the courage to take some field shots as well as doing lay-ups as she had when she faced off with Kagami, it would be beneficial to the team.

Tetsumi shrugged her shoulders. "You could call it fear," she said. "But when it comes to playing with a team, I'm better for passing and stealing. I'll leave the shots to Kagami-kun and the others." She nodded as Hyuga took a three point shot, landing it perfectly.

"Just think about it," Riko said to her with a bright smile. "It takes the whole team to win the game." She stood and blew on her whistle, cutting the game short. Tetsumi stared at Riko's back for a moment and smiled. The coach was right, it was a team effort to win a game. They needed to rely on each other Tetsumi knew that. She had to continue to improve, so she could be there for her team.

"Good practice everyone," Hyuga said as everyone gathered around at the half-court mark. "Tomorrow is our practice game with Kaijo High School, rest up and be ready."

"Hyuga-kun is right, even though it's just a practice match it's important that we win," Riko said, looking amongst all the players. "Do your best tomorrow, all of you."


	8. KAIJO

**Author's Note:** Hello fabulous readers! Thank you to everyone who has read this story up to this point and has added the story on their favorites and alerts list! I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter, I'm focusing a little more on Kise for this one. Until next time everyone, enjoy this chapter!

**Special Thanks To: **turtlehoffmann2251, cocobobo10, Piczle, SoulXHunter, Soma, SimplyRandomStuffz, Lunary, and enchanted-nova! Your comments give me the inspiration for each chapter! Thank you!

* * *

**KAIJO**

Kise looked at the clock on the wall, Tetsumi's team would be arriving in exactly one hour. The blond could hardly contain his excitement to face off against Tetsumi's team. He remembered well how she came up with plays with Akashi and the coach. She could formulate strategies incredibly well. While Tetsumi wasn't the one making the shots, she always knew where to get the ball. She was good on a defensive standpoint and an offensive standpoint. Kise had to admit, he was curious to see how her game had improved. He'd witnessed her little practice with her teammates, but he knew she could do more. Of course, he saw that she had led the team to victory thanks to her prowess in ball movement.

Kise took a seat on the bench and squirted some water in his mouth. He rolled his shoulders and put his water bottle aside. The Kaijo coach, Takeuchi Genta, didn't seem to think much of the upcoming game. As Kise looked around the court, he realized no one seemed to care much. Kise pursed his lips and stood up from the bench. Seirin didn't have much of a reputation; they weren't considered a national level team like Kaijo or any of the other schools for that matter. The blond ran his fingers through his hair and saw the captain of the team walking over to him.

"You're strangely quiet today, Kise," Kasamatsu Yukio, Kaijo's captain with cobalt eyes and thick brows, noted as he stood beside Kise. The blond laughed lightly and mentioned he was just excited for the practice game. The captain raised a brow at the blond and snorted. "What for? It's basically a pity game."

"That's mean, Kasamatsu-senpai," Kise muttered, looking a bit deflated that his captain didn't think of his former teammate as a threat. Of course, Kasamatsu had never seen her play. "Tetsu-cchi is on Seirin's team, I think they'll do better than you think. They might even be great."

Kasamatsu jabbed Kise in the side, causing the blond to whine. The black haired captain scolded Kise for getting excited about the other teams abilities. Kise straightened up and looked down at his captain. Kasamatsu had changed the way Kise saw things. His captain valued hard work and was constantly motivating the team to play their hardest. In some ways, Kasamatsu was a lot like Tetsumi. It was because of that that Kise probably listened to Kasamatsu without much of an argument.

When the two first met they didn't see eye-to-eye at all, but over time they learned to deal with each other. Kasamatsu had led the team to many victories and the entire team looked up to him. He was big on the respect-your-seniors bit, which Kise got a firsthand lecture on.

"We'll win, Senpai," Kise assured his senior with a bright smile. "But you shouldn't underestimate Tetsu-cchi." He looked back out at the court as the second string player of Kaijo were practicing.

"I won't doubt your former teammate's skill," Kasamatsu said and walked behind Kise, kicking his back. The blond stumbled forward and whined again, looking to his abusive captain. "But don't doubt your team either." With those words, Kasamatsu made his way towards the locker room to go change into his uniform.

Kise watched his captain and shook his head before wandering over to the other side of the court. The coach didn't want to stop practice just for a practice game for Seirin. As Kise wandered over to the coach, he looked to the other half of the court, seeing the regulars preparing to warm up.

"You should be practicing, Kise," Coach Takeuchi said to the blond as he was going over some plays on his clipboard. The coach was a rather large person with a big belly. Kasamatsu had mentioned that the coach once played on the National Basketball Team for Japan, but Kise couldn't see it. "Get on the line for some runs."

Kise blinked a few times, slightly confused by his coach's request. Takeuchi looked at Kise when he didn't walk away. The scruffy faced coach raised a brow, and asked Kise what his problem was. The blond laughed lightly and apologized and said, "I was just gonna ask about the practice game, aren't we going to use full court?"

"No," Takeuchi said simply as he stood up from the bench and barked an order at one of the second stringers. Kise furrowed his brows and followed the coach as he started walking around the court. "There's no need to use full court, it's not an official match. It would be pointless to have our second string guys watch when they'd gain nothing from it."

"Well that's a little insulting don't you think?" Kise inquired, but Takeuchi merely shrugged his shoulders in response. "I guess I'll go warm up then."

"No, you'll get in line and practice with the second stringers," Takeuchi said, causing Kise's mouth to fall open. He refused to not be apart of the match with Kagami and Tetsumi. "So get over there."

"But coach!" Kise protested. "Why can't I play?"

"Because I said so, now get on the line!" Takeuchi snapped, causing Kise to flinch. He sighed and drug his feet over to the line where the second stringers were running from one end of the court to the other. He glanced over at the coach and the moment he wasn't looking, he slipped away and ran to the locker room.

Kise skidded to a stop right in front of the locker room door when Kasamatsu was coming out. He nearly hit him, but Kasamatsu kicked Kise back. The blond flailed his arms wildly trying not to lose his balance. He whined and looked at his captain with a hurt gleam in his eyes.

"What the hell are you doing idiot?" Kasamatsu fumed, shaking a fist at Kise.

"Sorry, sorry! But I need you to tell coach to let me play in the practice game, please Kasamatsu-senpai!" Kise pleaded, and the dark haired captain raised a brow. He didn't realize Kise wasn't going to be playing in the first place. "I have to play!" He clasped his hands in front of his chest and looked like he was about to start groveling.

"What have I told you about respecting your seniors, Kise?" Kasamatsu chided with a roll of his cobalt eyes. Kise frowned and pouted, saying it was only right he should play. The captain rubbed the back of his neck and huffed. "Stop being a brat, if the coach said he doesn't want you to play then you aren't gonna play." Kasamatsu shrugged his shoulders and prepared to walk off, but Kise cut him off. The captain narrowed his eyes at the blond, and placed his hands on his hips.

"But the game is for the regulars," Kise pointed out, and Kasamatsu remained straight-faced. "I'm a regular, so technically—"

"Technically you should listen to the coach, now stop it," the captain jabbed Kise in the ribs and he stumbled aside.

"So mean, Senpai!" Kise whined, but Kasamatsu only waved the matter off as he went to join the rest of the regulars to warm up. Sputtering a bit, Kise wandered back out onto the courts and decided he would force the coach to make him play. He glanced at the double doors and darted outside before the coach or Kasamatsu had a chance to notice him.

As Kise slipped out of the gym, he smiled happily and rounded a corner only to bump into someone. He stumbled back and apologized quickly before seeing who it was. His golden eyes widened in surprise as he saw long pink hair and rosy eyes.

"Momoi-cchi?" Kise asked, startled by the pink haired girl's appearance. She looked up at him and smiled happily.

"Ki-chan!" she expressed with excitement. Kise deflated at his much-hated nickname that Momoi always used on him.

"What are you doing here, Momoi-cchi?" Kise asked.

"I'm here to watch the game of course, Aomine-kun mentioned that Tetsumi-chan was playing on Seirin's team and they have a practice match with you." Momoi was beaming with excitement, not that Kise could blame her. None of them had seen Tetsumi play basketball since her injury. She had tried to practice a couple of times, but she wasn't very confident. They weren't really sure how much she had changed in two years, but Kise couldn't wait to find out first hand.

"They do, but my coach and captain don't want me to play," Kise explained sadly with a frown. Momoi furrowed her brows and gave him a quizzical stare. "They think Seirin is a weak team, so they don't think I'll be needed in the match." He shrugged his shoulders and looked at Momoi.

"They'll put you in," Momoi assured him, and Kise looked at her with intrigue. "Tetsumi-chan will prove that they'll need you." The pink haired beauty winked at Kise and looked at the gym. "Good luck, Ki-chan!"

"Please don't call me that," Kise sighed as the manager of his former team ran over to the gym to go find a seat.

"Ki-chan!" Momoi called out before she went into the gym. He turned around to look at her. "Don't tell her I'm here, okay!"

Kise nodded his head and turned back around, heading to the main entrance of Kaijo High. He would be there to greet their opponents and tell them to convince his coach they needed him.

* * *

-###-

* * *

"Kagami-kun," Tetsumi chirped as she peered over her seat on the bus taking the team to Kaijo. The redhead looked at her with tired eyes that were wide open like he'd just downed a gallon of coffee with extra espresso. "What's wrong with your eyes? You look weird." She poked his forehead, and he growled as he swatted her hand away. The blue-haired girl chuckled lightly as Kagami slouched in his seat.

"I couldn't fall asleep last night," he admitted, looking into her cerulean eyes. She furrowed her brows and Kagami sat up straighter, leaning towards her. "I was just too damn excited for this match, and no matter what I did I couldn't fall asleep. I kept saying if I fall asleep now…I'll get seven hours of sleep…if I fall sleep now, I'll get six hours of sleep…and the next thing I knew my alarm clock was going off."

Tetsumi blinked a few times. "What is this like your first basketball game or something?" she teased, and Kagami swiped at her. The girl avoided his hit and stuck her tongue out at him. He rolled his eyes and yawned tiredly. It was bad enough he wasn't able to sleep, and then he had to attend all his classes, and now they had an hour bus ride to Kaijo. "Well I hope your exhaustion doesn't mess up your game play."

"Not a chance," Kagami assured her, and Tetsumi smiled at him. "I'm gonna mop the floor with that pretty boy."

"He is a model," Tetsumi chimed in before she turned around in her seat.

"So an all-star basketball player and he's a model, my self confidence is now way down," Koganei said sadly from the seat across from Tetsumi. She frowned a bit and waved the matter off, saying that Kise was surprisingly humble when it came to his looks. She further mentioned his true ego was when it came to basketball. "Not helping, Kuroko-chan." Koganei let out some nervous laughter and glanced out the window.

"There it is, Kaijo High School," Riko said as she stood up in the aisle of the bus and started walking towards the front. Unfortunately, the bus went over a speed bump, causing her to lose her balance and fall. She squeaked as she tumbled right into Izuki's lap. "Sorry Izuki-kun!" she said quickly as she stood up.

"Well normally, I would say at least take me to dinner first," Izuki joked, causing Riko to narrow her eyes at him. She was about to start walking again, but the bus hit one last speed bump. Riko gasped as she fell back into Izuki's lap. "Okay, see now, you're just taking advantage."

"Stop it now," Riko commanded harshly as she got up from Izuki's lap. He laughed as she walked to the door of the bus that had just swung open. When Izuki looked to his right, he stopped laughing as Hyuga glared at him.

"Oh come on," Izuki tried, but Hyuga only snorted and went to get off the bus like everyone else. "It was funny!" Izuki exclaimed as he grabbed his bag and scrambled off the bus to catch up with everyone.

The Seirin Basketball team all stood before the school's entrance completely in awe of its size. It seemed more like a university campus rather than a high school campus. Riko told everyone to line up and follow her down the sidewalk. As they started walking they admired the large building that were designed in a futuristic sense with metal and glass. It was very clean and tidy, even the grass was cut in a perfect length. The trees and shrubs were in perfect columns and squares, making it seem incredibly fancy. Seirin High School, though nice and pristine paled to the comparison of Kaijo High School.

Riko and Hyuga were leading the group, navigating through the campus to find the gym. Up ahead Riko could see some other athletics going on and pointed to the building straight ahead. Hyuga nodded, assuming that had to be the gym and it was nothing short of amazing. As they walked past one building, they stopped to marvel at the glass structure. Within the walls they could see a volleyball team playing and up on the higher level there was an indoor track with several people running around it.

"This school is very devoted to the athletics," Hyuga commented, and Riko nodded in agreement.

"It's very state of the art," Riko added in as she looked back to the Seirin team. She wondered if seeing all the equipment and buildings would break down their confidence. It was more than clear that Kaijo meant business when it came to sports.

"Hey! You made it!"

The Seirin team turned when they heard the shout and spotted Kise came running up to greet them. He came to a walk and went straight to Tetsumi, taking hold of her hands and pulling her close. The blue-haired girl stifled a laugh as Kise wrapped an arm around her waist. Seirin all gaped at the scene as Kise grabbed Tetsumi's chin and tilted her face up to his own.

"Tetsu-cchi! Ever since you turned me down, I've cried every night because of the rejection," Kise explained theatrically, causing Tetsumi to stare at him dumbfounded. He stroked the side of her face and looked deeply into her eyes. "No one, and I mean no one, has ever rejected me." He had tears in his eyes, and Tetsumi scoffed as she slipped out of his hold.

"Kise you should be in theater, you sell that bullshit pretty well," Tetsumi said simply, causing Kise to deflate. His shoulders sank and Tetsumi shrugged her shoulders. "Your talents precede you," she told him, and Kise looked at her with a cute smile.

"Mind backing off of our teammate, Kise," Kagami said as he came up behind Tetsumi. He glared at the blond, who seemed to have an incessant need to be all over Tetsumi. Kagami wasn't exactly jealous, but they were there to play basketball. Kise had no reason to hit on Tetsumi, and she had made it apparent she was happy with Seirin.

"Only for our Hanaemi," Kise said to Tetsumi, completely ignoring Kagami.

"Are you listening?" Kagami snapped with a clenched fist.

"The school is rather huge, so I wanted to guide you. Didn't want you to get lost now," Kise said as he went to put his arm around Tetsumi, but she sidestepped out of the way and moved to the opposite side of Kagami. Kise frowned and glanced up to Kagami, who was practically snarling like a rabid dog. "Oh it's you."

"Just show us the way, Pretty Boy!" Kagami barked at Kise, who laughed lightly.

Kise ignored Kagami's rude demand and looked back to Tetsumi. She stood by Kagami, looking at Kise curiously. The blond ran his fingers through his hair and sighed in defeat. "Last chance, Tetsu-cchi. Come play for Kaijo," he said to her, and Tetsumi stared at Kise in disbelief. She remembered him being persistent and eccentric, but this was starting to push it.

"Kise, seriously, enough," Tetsumi stated firmly, and the blond's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "No matter how many times you ask, I'm going to say no. So please, stop." She gave him a lighthearted smile, and Kise nodded with pursed lips.

"I have to admit," Kise began as he turned his full attention to Kagami, who was staring right back at him. "I'm curious as to what is so special about this team, and this person that it would have you rejecting you former student," Kise paused for a moment and glanced at the Seirin team, "I don't particularly care about being called one of the Generation of Miracles, but this is an obvious challenge that can't be ignored. After all, I'm not mature enough to let it slide." His golden eyes locked with Kagami's.

"Then show us to the court, and we'll show you why," Kagami said hotly.

Kise's smirk darkened and his eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry, but I will crush you with everything I have."

"Bring it on," Kagami growled, and Tetsumi stomped on his foot. He yelped and glared down at the small girl beside him. "What the hell?" he seethed.

"Keep your cool, the game hasn't even started yet," Tetsumi chided, and Kagami huffed. "Let's go, Ki-kun."

"One tiny little detail before we head that way," Kise said, gesturing with his thumb and forefinger. Kagami looked irritated with it, but Kise shrugged his shoulders and said, "I won't be playing unless you can force the coach of Kaijo to put me in."

"What!" Seirin exclaimed at once, causing Kise to lean back from the shriek. He didn't expect them to react in such a way; it made him happy.

"Why not?" Riko asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're a regular aren't you? That was the agreement."

"Believe me, I want to take you guys on too," Kise said honestly, placing a hand on his chest. "But my coach thinks this game is going to be a joke. So you'll have to prove you're worth it." The blond looked at Kagami, who was fuming.

"We'll prove it, just take us to the court," Kagami snapped, and Kise nodded as he turned on his heels and lead the way to the Kaijo Basketball Gymnasium.

"What did Kise mean when he called you 'Hanaemi' and when he said 'student', he said that before too." Kagami acknowledged, glancing down at Tetsumi who was by his side. They were towards the back of the group, while Kise was getting an earful from Riko, who was furious with Kaijo.

"Akashi calls me Hanaemi sometimes," Tetsumi explained, looking up at Kagami with a small smile. "It means flowering smile, and when Kise first came onto the first string at Teiko I was made his instructor. He didn't really care for me at first, but over time we became good friends."

"Flowering smile, huh?" Kagami repeated with a chuckle. "Who is Akashi?"

Tetsumi pressed her lips together in a tight line. "He was the captain of the Generation of Miracles." Kagami stopped for a second and raised a brow with intrigue. As he looked at Tetsumi, he could see there was a hint of both worry and anger in her eyes. He didn't really know anything about what had happened in her past, but he was starting to get very curious. The two of them had become friends through the practices the past week, but he didn't want to push it too far. He assumed when the time was right Tetsumi would open up. For now, Kagami wanted to trust her judgment.

"Hey," Kagami nudged her with his elbow gently. Tetsumi looked up at him and he smiled down at her. "I don't know what happened between you and the Generation of Miracles, but you got a new team and we're going to beat all of them."

Tetsumi smiled back at him and nodded in agreement. Not even a moment later, Kise hollered that they had arrived at the Basketball Gymnasium. The Seirin team stared in shock at the massive building. From the inside they could here shouts, the sharp shrill of whistles, the squeaking of shoes, and the bouncing of basketballs.

"Kise!" someone barked the moment they entered the gym.

"Oh! Senpai!" Kise exclaimed, waving to Kasamatsu. "Our guests have arrived."

Kasamatsu looked at the Seirin team for a moment, sizing them all up. He walked over a few moments later, and roughly slapped Kise on the back. "You're supposed to be practicing," Kasamatsu scolded, but Kise only laughed nervously. "Welcome to Kaijo," he said, turning his attention back to the team before him.

"Thank you," Riko said on behalf of the team, bowing slightly.

"Kise will show you to the locker rooms," Kasamatsu said, shoving the blond forward. "And then you get back to practice!" the captain snapped, causing Kise to whine.

"So mean, Kasamatsu-senapi!"


	9. SERIOUSLY

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! We're almost to double digit chapters. I'm excited! I hope you guys enjoy the game, I tried to make it a little different than the anime. Tell me what you think! Until next time everyone!

**Special Thanks To: **invisible-gurl, Piczle, SoulXHunter, I ate fruit loops this morning, Soma, cocobobo10, enchanted-nova, and Guest! You guys rock!

* * *

**SERIOUSLY**

The big vein in Riko's head was about to explode. She forced a smile on her face, but her fist was clenched tightly at her side. With her other hand, she gripped her clipboard tight. If she had no self-control, she'd slap Takeuchi with it. While the team had gone to the locker rooms to get dressed, Riko thought she'd speak with the coach of Kaijo. It was bad enough he thought she was joking when she claimed to be the coach. What really pushed her over the edge was that he had refused to let them use the full court. Her brow started twitching when he further expressed the second and third string players wouldn't benefit from watching.

"Coach Takeuchi, try not to insult us," Riko commented with a huff as she walked back to her side. When she plopped down on the bench, she took a look at the Kaijo players. They're numbers were impressive well above average, but they were the regulars. Riko bit her lip nervously and wondered if Kagami and Tetsumi could help the team. They'd only been practicing for a week, but they seemed to work well together. She just hoped it would be enough to go against a national level team.

"Calm down over there, coach," Hyuga said as he walked up. He was teasing she knew, but she was still nervous. At best Seirin was an average team with the exception of Kagami. She wanted to have faith that Tetsumi would do more than just take shots, but something told her otherwise. "Did you talk to Kaijo's coach?" he asked as he sat down beside her.

"Yeah," Riko said with a nod. "They're not taking us seriously, so make sure you guys crush them."

Hyuga chuckled lightly and stood up as the rest of the Seirin team came out and onto the court. He nodded to Riko in understanding and told the team to start warming up. As Seirin was warming up, Kise watched from the bench with his coach. He pouted a bit, causing Riko to smirk. She appreciated that he wanted to play them, and believed Seirin was a worthy opponent. Her eyes drifted over to her team where she saw Tetsumi was stretching out her leg. Riko stood up and went over to the blue-haired girl.

"You ready?" Riko asked, looking to Tetsumi.

"I'll be fine," Tetsumi assured her coach as she tightened the straps of her brace. "If it goes to acting up, I'll pull myself out." She smiled at the brunette, who nodded in agreement and went back to the bench where a few of the team players were sitting. Tetsumi let out a breath and stood up straight, looking across to Kise.

His golden eyes were boring into her. She looked away from him and caught a basketball that Kagami passed to her. Tetsumi dribbled the ball a few times and took the shot. It bounced off the glance and went straight through the net. She felt confident, her knee and lower leg weren't bothering her, which was a good sign.

"Let's beat these guys," Kagami said as he walked up to her.

"Yes," she agreed, looking over to Kaijo's side.

"But first let's get that pretty boy in." Kagami took the ball and tossed it effortlessly into the basket. When it hit the ground again, he went to get it and picked it up with on hand. He held the ball out to Kise, who only smirked and nodded his head. "We'll teach them a thing or two about underestimating Seirin."

"Don't take the other players lightly, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi advised with a wave of her finger. The redhead raised a brow at her. "Kise is undoubtedly one of the best players, but that doesn't mean we should forget about his teammates. Besides, Kise isn't playing just yet."

"Oh, he will be," Kagami assured her as he passed her the ball. Tetsumi stifled a laugh and shot the ball. It went around the rim, but Kagami pushed it in.

After another ten minutes of warming up, the teams were called to line up. Riko looked at her starters and told them to crush Kaijo. They all agreed and made their way to the middle where Kaijo was already lined up. The referee was holding the ball and looked at both teams.

"Where's your fifth player?" the referee questioned as he only saw four people standing in for Seirin. He rested the ball on his hip and looked at Seirin as all of them looked to where Tetsumi's was standing. The referee followed the four players eyes and gasped in surprise as Tetsumi stood beside him. "You're a player?" he asked, completely shocked by two things: she was a she and that he hadn't noticed her to begin with.

"Yes, I'm the fifth person," Tetsumi said politely as she bowed to the referee. His brow twitched and he looked at Seirin for a moment. They all nodded, assuring him that she was in fact a player for their team. He stared at Tetsumi again, who smiled weakly.

"You guys can't be serious? A girl? And I thought Kise was joking," Kasamatsu remarked, placing his hands on his hips. He didn't notice her either, which was shocking to him.

"What's the matter?" Kagami asked in a challenging tone, staring down at Kaijo's captain. "Scared that a girl's gonna beat you?" he pressed, and Kasamatsu narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

"Can we just start please? There's nothing wrong with me playing, is there?" Tetsumi said loud enough to gain everyone's attention. Her eyes first went to the referee, who shook his head. She nodded and turned her attention to Kaijo's couch, who seemed a bit uneasy about it. Nevertheless, Takeuchi gave a nod of approval, telling his team to play as they always did. The Kaijo players all shouted their agreement and prepared to face the mysterious girl.

"Let' the Kaijo and Seirin match begin!" The referee said as he stood in between Kagami and Kaijo's center Kobori Koji. When he blew the whistle, the referee tossed the ball into the air. Both players leaped from the ground in attempt to reach the ball. The other players circling them prepared to catch it. Just as Kagami was about to knock the ball towards Hyuga, Kobori snatched it away.

The two centers landed on the ground as Kaijo's captain received the ball, telling his players to stay sharp. He dribbled the ball as he walked forward while his team got into their positions. His cobalt eyes darted around the court, searching for openings. Though Kasamatsu was alert, he failed to notice Tetsumi as she moved around one of the Kaijo players. By the time he noticed her, he couldn't move away.

"What the hell?" Kasamatsu gasped as Tetsumi pushed the ball out of his hold. She took control and started running down the court, but Kasamatsu cut her off. Tetsumi narrowed her eyes and skidded to a halt, spinning around and passed the ball to Kagami as he flashed by. "Damn it!" the captain cursed through gritted teeth as Kagami leapt into the air and dunked the ball into the hoop with a mighty force.

"Hell yeah!" Kagami cheered when he landed back on the ground.

"Kagami-kun, I know Riko-san said to crush them, but I don't think she meant for you to break their hoop," Tetsumi said as she stared unblinkingly at Kagami, who had seemed to realized he'd just demolished the basketball hoop.

"What?" Kagami questioned, but realized he was holding something in his hand. His scarlet eyes drifted to his hand and he gaped. "Whoa!" Kagami exclaimed in shock as he held the orange hoop. When he looked up at the back board, he laughed nervously as he saw the damage.

"I don't believe it!"

"He broke it?"

"Just how strong is this guy?"

The various players of Kaijo were now watching in awe. Kagami examined the hoop and pursed his lips. He knew he was strong, but he didn't think he was strong enough to break the damn thing. Tetsumi walked up to him and shook her head, trying to hold back her laugh.

"Well that's just dangerous," Izuki said as he walked up and saw the rust marks on the back board from the bolts and screws. "The bolts were rusted out."

"Still that was unnatural," Kasamatsu pointed out as he looked to Kagami, who was joking around with the hoop. "He's something else," the captain muttered with a slight hint of worry. His eyes drifted over to Takeuchi, whose eyes were nearly bulging from his head.

"I mean this thing is huge," Kagami said as he placed the hoop around Tetsumi's head. The blue haired girl rolled her eyes and lifted the hoop from her neck, turning her attention to Riko.

"I'm so sorry! He's just big and dumb and can't control himself," Riko apologized, bowing to Takeuchi. The large man was still trying to wrap his head around what he just saw. It wasn't just the fact that he'd broken the hoop, but the girl had managed to steal the ball from Kasamatsu and then passed it to the redhead in a matter of seconds. His height on the jump was even more astounding; Takeuchi was beginning to think they might have underestimated their opponents.

"Our apologies for breaking your hoop," Tetsumi said as she dragged Kagami over. She bowed to Takeuchi, who looked at her and then to Kagami. When the redhead didn't bow or say anything, Tetsumi jabbed Kagami in the side. Kagami yelped in pain and leaned down just enough for Tetsumi to force him to bow. "Given the circumstances, may we please use the full court to continue the match?" Tetsumi asked as she straightened up and let go of Kagami.

The redhead glared at the girl and snorted as he rested his arm on his shoulder. Takeuchi looked at Kagami, then glanced at the orange hoop he was still holding. It was obvious that Takeuchi was both shocked and impressed by the events. He took in a sharp breath and stood up from the bench, studying both players before them. They would be an obvious threat to the game, Takeuchi could tell that much.

"Very well," Takeuchi said before telling everyone to prepare the court and clear out. He grabbed Kise by the collar of his shirt and lifted him to his feet. "You're in." Takeuchi poked Kise in the chest and told him to warm up while they got the full court cleaned up. The blond beamed with excitement and looked over to Kagami and Tetsumi.

"Way to make an impression," Kise said, walking towards them. He laughed a bit and rolled his shoulders. "That was one hell of a beating, Kagami." The redhead went to put the basketball hoop down on the sidelines and snickered.

"That's what you guys get for underestimating us," he shot back, and Kise only laughed more.

"How much do you think that replacement hoop with cost, Kagami-kun?" Tetsumi asked her teammate with a raised brow.

"I don't know, why?" Kagami asked, not getting her point.

"Well we have to pay for it, so please refrain from damaging anything else," Tetsumi said simply as she jogged over to the rest of Seirin.

"What! We have to pay for that?" Kagami questioned in shock as he chased after her, leaving Kise laughing quietly to himself.

In a matter of minutes the full court was ready to go. Kise entered the court with his team and looked at Tetsumi. She nodded to him once and he returned it. When he turned, Kasamatsu was at his side. The blond jumped away, anticipating that his captain might hit him.

"Are you aware of the situation that we're in, Kise?" Kasamatsu asked, peering up at the tall blond. "Who the hell is that guy?" the captain inquired, glancing to Kagami who was just out of earshot.

"You mean Kagami?" Kise asked, looking at the redhead, who looked back at them.

"Kagami? I've never heard of him," Kasamatsu commented as he looked the redhead up and down, trying to get a read on him. He was tall, so he would probably be both offensive and defensive. Not to mention the jumping power he'd displayed a few minutes ago had gotten Kaijo's attention.

"Don't worry about him, we need to worry about number eleven," Kise explained as he turned his captain around to face the girl across the way. Kasamatsu furrowed his brows, he would admit she was a bit of a problem with going around unseen. Tetsumi wasn't his priority though; they had to keep Seirin from scoring. In order to do that, they'd have to put a stop to Kagami's power plays. "That's Kuroko Tetsumi, she was my teammate and instructor back in Teiko." Kise was beaming when Kasamatsu turned around to look at him.

"You're incorrigible!" Kasamatsu snapped, punching Kise in the stomach. The blonde groaned in pain and sighed heavily. "Stop being so happy about our opponents abilities."

"I'm sorry, it's just so exciting," Kise smiled, causing Kasamatsu to roll his eyes. It was a good thing Kise was their ace, otherwise he'd beaten him soft.

"Just play the game before I hit you," the captain said as he slapped Kise hard on the back.

The blond winced. "You've already hit me, Kasamatsu-senpai. Like a dozen times."

"And I'll keep doing it until you get the picture," Kasamatsu hissed at the blond, who frowned. "They gave us one hell of a greeting, Kise. Why don't you return the favor? We can't afford to be rude to our guest after all."

"Don't worry, Kasamatsu-senpai," Kise began as a vicious grin came across his face. "I full intend to return the favor." His golden eyes went dark as he glanced to Kagami, who glared right back at him.

Above on the second level, Momoi Satsuki watched with intrigue. Seirin had a few tricks up their sleeves. Even though only one play had been made, Momoi could see that Kagami played almost identically to Aomine. She leaned against the railing and glanced at Tetsumi. There was no denying, Tetsumi was holding back, but Momoi figured Seirin wasn't ready for Tetsumi's true playing style. Her pink eyes went to Kise and his captain and she wondered if Kise could see the difference in Tetsumi's play. Momoi didn't want to assume it was all just Seirin that was holding her back. The way Tetsumi was moving, she was reserved and more cautious. Kagami could probably handle some of her more aggressive plays, but Tetsumi was holding back.

Momoi sighed softly and felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. As she reached for it, the referee hollered that the game could now proceed. Momoi glanced down at the court, but pulled out her phone to see who was calling her. Her brows raised in surprise when she saw Aomine's name flashing on the screen. She flipped the phone open and pressed it to her ear.

"Aomine-kun?" she asked in disbelief.

"_Actually it's Imayoshi_," the captain of Tōō said. "_I'm assuming Aomine-kun isn't with you?_"

"Is he skipping practice again?" Momoi asked in annoyance. "I'll find him Imayoshi-san."

"_He's not anywhere on campus, so try elsewhere_," Imayoshi told her.

"I know a few places he might be," Momoi said just before hanging up the phone. If Aomine didn't have his phone with him and left it in his locker, he was probably at the old basketball courts near Teiko. He used to go there and talk to Tetsumi for hours after practice. If he wasn't there she'd assume he was at the park near Tetsumi's apartment complex, another favorite hangout of theirs.

The pinkette sighed as she looked back down at the court, the game was underway and Kise was on fire. He had truly improved a great deal since the Generation of Miracles went their separate ways. It was disappointing that she would have to miss the game, but she had to keep Aomine on the straight and narrow. Of course, he'd probably just get annoyed with her and walk away. She shook her head, ever since his fight with Tetsumi, Aomine had been much more difficult to handle. Imayoshi usually let it slide; even the coach, but they had a game coming up soon. Momoi quietly left, wishing she could say goodbye to her best friend from middle school.

The game was going at a much faster pace than Tetsumi had anticipated. They'd barely been playing for five minutes and she already felt exhausted. Kaijo was in the lead by four points, but Hyuga told Seirin to keep moving. Tetsumi moved the ball around the court, coordinating each play as perfectly as she could. Her stamina wasn't what it used to be. Her leg was starting to tense up a bit to from the constant running. They needed to slow down before things got way out of hand. Her eyes flicked over to Kise, who was matching everything Kagami did. The Kaijo team had a lot of faith in him, which Tetsumi was happy to see. Unfortunately, Kise was still pigheaded, believing his team wouldn't win without him.

"Don't let up! Keep moving!" Hyuga hollered as they continued on with the game, passing the five and a half minute mark.

Tetsumi wiped the sweat from her brow and continued on with Hyuga as they made their way to the opposite end of the court. He passed the ball to her Moriyama Yoshitaka came in and knocked it away. Tetsumi's eyes widened in surprise as the shooting guard laughed and passed the ball to Kasamatsu. When the captain caught the ball he shot an effortless three, sinking it with ease. The second and third string players watching the game cheered for the third years.

Tetsumi panted lightly and turned around as the game continued as Seirin's ball. When she went to run, she felt a twinge in her knee. If they continued going at this pace, Tetsumi would be out of commission in the middle of the second quarter. She could see that Kagami was getting rather hyper too, which wasn't a good thing. The more aggressively he would play, the harder Kise would play. They would work themselves into the ground if they didn't slow down.

"Hyuga-kun," Tetsumi said, appearing by her captain's side. He jumped a bit at her sudden presence, not expecting her to talk to him. They were running back down the court with Hyuga dribbling the ball.

"Are you alright, Kuroko-san?" Hyuga asked quickly, noticing that Tetsumi wobbled a bit. She grimaced, but quickly hid her pain and nodded her head.

"I'm fine, but we need a time out," Tetsumi explained, and Hyuga slowed his pace. He gave her a confused look before glancing to her leg. They had been playing pretty rough for the first five minutes, but overall he felt okay. "This high paced play is going to wear the whole team down. It's only been six minutes; we can't afford to be dead the last quarter. But most importantly, Kagami-kun is way too hyper. If he keeps playing like this, Kise will only continue to get better. It would be wise to call for a time out and regroup before the gap gets too big."

Hyuga was a little shocked. The past week Tetsumi had said maybe five or six words to him, but now it was like she'd read an entire novel to him. His eyes drifted over to the bench, but saw that Riko wasn't sitting there. When he glanced over at the time clock, he spotted her speaking with the people monitoring the machine. Hyuga looked back to Tetsumi and nodded his head in agreement.

The whistle blew a moment later. "Seirin, time out!" the referee hollered and Hyuga tossed the ball aside while both teams went to their respective benches.

When Tetsumi sat down, Furihata handed her a towel. She thanked him as she patted her face dry. Riko pulled out her clipboard to start strategizing with the team. They were doing better than Tetsumi had originally anticipated, but the scales would tip soon. She had a plan, but she wasn't sure if they could pull it off. Kaijo was one intense team they met them at every shot and then some. Her cerulean eyes glanced over to Kaijo as their coach started yelling at them. Tetsumi shook her head, they were leading, but it was obvious that a national level team should have been crushing Seirin.

"Tetsumi-san," Riko said, and Tetsumi blinked a few times before turning to the coach. "Are you alright?"

"For now yes, but we can't keep playing like this," Tetsumi informed the coach honestly. She grabbed a water bottle and squirted some into her mouth. "The high paced play is too intense. Kagami-kun the harder you play, Ki-kun will only meet you at it. We need to change the way we're playing. They're taking us seriously now, so we have to take them seriously as well." Tetsumi laid the towel on the empty space beside her.

"I can handle him," Kagami assured her, but Tetsumi shook her head.

"He's going to step up his game," Tetsumi said, looking to all her teammates. "Listen, I won't be as effective as time goes on. Kise will make sure of it."

"What do you mean?" Hyuga asked, becoming very concerned.

"My play style, Kise will tell his team how it works. Eventually probably by the second half, it will be useless against them," Tetsumi explained with a sad sigh. "I keep the players eyes on the ball, not on myself. This is how I can move freely around the court without too much trouble, unfortunately Kise knows this seeing as we were once teammates and coordinated with one another frequently."

"You should have mentioned that earlier!" Riko yipped in frustration. "We won't be able to pull this off without your ball movement."

Tetsumi apologized softly and looked back over to the Kaijo team. She saw Kise speaking with the captain, and knew he was telling him how her play style worked. Her eyes drifted back to her team as they started discussing various strategies. The gears in her head were beginning to turn. Kise had improved, there was no doubt about that, but he still had two weaknesses. Although, Tetsumi wasn't sure they could truly be seen as weaknesses. Either way, they were running out of time and it was better than flying blind.

"Listen, Kise has two weaknesses right now," Tetsumi said, interrupting the teams strategizing. They all looked at her and she took in a deep breath, kneeling down by the clipboard. "Kise is an exceptional player and learns fast, but his weaknesses might give us the advantage."

"Weaknesses?" Izuki repeated in confusion. "The guy can copy a move by seeing it once, shouldn't we just switch to zone defense and stop him."

"Kise unlike the rest of his team operates solely on his own," Tetsumi pointed out looking to her teammates as she started moving the magnetic tokens around on the clipboard. "His first weakness is he will not rely on his teammates, his second weakness is—"

"You," Kagami said quickly and Tetsumi looked up at him, nodding her head once in agreement. The rest of the team seemed a bit lost, but Kagami licked his lips and sighed. "Kise is flashy and intense, he could never copy your play style even if he wanted too." The rest of the team seemed to understand what he was getting at.

"There's a risk though," Tetsumi pointed out, raising her finger to gain everyone's attention. "I have no doubt Kise has shared this information with his team, off the court Kise is a team player, when he's on it he isn't. However it won't matter much if his whole team knows how I work. Therefore we will need to keep the ball moving. We can not afford to stop and hesitate, everyone needs to be at the right place at the right time."

"So what's the play?" Riko asked, noticing Tetsumi had everything laid out on the clipboard.

"Kagami you have to stay on Kise, you're our best chance at slowing him down," Tetsumi said, looking to the redhead. He smirked and nodded his head in agreement as he stood up from the bench. "Izuki-kun, you'll start with the ball. Pass it to me, Hyuga-kun I need you to be ready to make a three point shot. Go into the move, but pass the ball back to me and I will take the shot from the top of the key. Kagami-kun I'll need you on the assist. Kise can copy one person, but he can't copy an entire team play. Don't hesitate, because that's what Kaijo is counting on." Tetsumi finished showing the play on the clipboard just as the referee called that the time out was over.

The two teams started making their way back onto the court and Tetsumi glanced down at her leg. "Tetsumi-san, are you sure you can keep playing?"

"This play there is little movement around the court," Tetsumi explained as she started walking away. "We'll slow it down."

"Be careful," Kagami said as Tetsumi walked up beside him. She smiled and looked up at him as he clapped her on the shoulder. "We need you on the court."


	10. RIVALS

**Author's Note:** Hello everyone! Ten chapters! I can't believe we're on chapter ten. So some of you have been asking for more romance and more fluff and the feels, those moments will be coming very soon, I promise! Please leave me a review and tell me what you think so far, I'd really love to know. Until next time you wonderful readers!

**Special Thanks To: **cocobobo10, Lunary, Soma, SoulXHunter, Piczle, Guest, and enchanted-nova! I love reading all of your comments they always put a smile on my face, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

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**RIVALS**

Izuki looked over to Tetsumi, who nodded to him. He let out a breath and prepared to pass the ball. Kaijo's players were watching him closely as he scanned the court. Just as Tetsumi had shown on the clipboard, everyone was in their proper place. He swallowed hard and looked to Tetsumi. She readied herself for the ball as Izuki lifted the ball above his head and tossed it to her. When she caught the ball, Moriyama was on her, but she passed it to Hyuga across the way. Kasamatsu ran in front of him as he prepared to make a three, but he faked it and passed the ball back to Tetsumi.

Kasamatsu turned around and watched as Tetsumi caught the ball and went in for a shot. He noticed that it wasn't going to make it in, so he quickly shouted for Kise and Hayakawa to get the rebound. Kagami refused to let that happen though and leaped into the air, using both hands to sink the ball into the hoop. The Seirin bench cheered with excitement, and Kagami pumped his fist in the air the moment her landed.

"She's having them do fast plays," Kise said as he came up beside his captain. "Tetsucchi's very good with coming up with plays on the fly."

"I can see that, so let's show them up," Kasamatsu commanded as they prepared for the next play. Kobori checked the ball in and Moriyama caught it with ease, they jogged down the court. Moriyama passed the ball to Kise, who was about to go in for a shot. The blond came to a stop and dribbled the ball at his side. Seirin had switched over to a zone defense, effectively keeping Kise from the basket.

"You guys are pretty serious, aren't you?" Kise asked with a chuckle.

"Very serious," Tetsumi chirped from behind him as she swiped the ball and raced back down the court. Kise's eyes widened in complete shock, he couldn't believe Tetsumi had stolen the ball from him. When he whipped around, he watched as Seirin and Kaijo darted down the court. His golden eyes narrowed as Tetsumi bounced the ball across the court to Kagami, who captured it with ease and dunked it into their hoop. Kasamatsu and the rest of the Kaijo team panted heavily and watched as the freshmen duo of Seirin showed them just how tough they were.

"All right, Kise," Kasamatsu said as he walked up to the blond. "Your former teammate has got some impressive stealing abilities." The captain of Kaijo looked over to the girl as she stared back at them.

"We're rivals now," Kise commented as he glanced to his captain, who nodded in agreement. "I won't let them win."

"We, Kise, we won't let them win," the cobalt-eyed captain said, jabbing his fist into Kise's side. The blond whined in pain and pouted at his captain, who walked on. "Let's keep it together, I don't want them to gain another point!" Kasamatsu shouted at his team. They all shouted their approval and got into position for the next play.

"Ki-kun," Tetsumi said and the blond looked to her. "We're going to win."

Kise stared at Tetsumi for a few second before snickering. "The game's only just begun, Tetsucchi." In an instant, Kise had the ball and weaved through the Seirin defense with ease. Tetsumi watched as he preformed one of her very own moves. She lifted her head high and went tight lipped as Kise spun around Kagami and bounced the ball off the glass. Kagami seemed to recognize the move as well and looked to Tetsumi. When Kise came back around, he looked to Tetsumi. "You're gonna have to do better if you wanna beat me." He smirked at her and continued on down the court.

"Kagami-kun," Tetsumi said as she jogged along side the redhead. "Please be prepared to make the next basket." She reached up and tightened her ponytail, leaving Kagami behind in an instant. He was impressed that she was moving faster than her normal pace.

"Like you even have to ask," Kagami said with a chuckle as he picked up his pace.

Tetsumi dribbled the ball up the court and came to a stop when Kasamatsu and Moriyama blocked her path. She lowered herself, defending as best she could. Her eyes darted to Kagami, but Kise was keeping him occupied. Passing to Hyuga or Izuki would be too risky since neither Kasamatsu nor Moriyama were letting up. She had to make a decision quick. When she met Kasamatsu's eyes, she swung the ball around her back and spun around him. Unfortunately, Kasamatsu was faster than she initially assumed. He knocked the ball from her hands, and she cursed under her breath as Hayakawa took hold of it.

He dribbled it down the court and dunked it in with ease. The Kaijo onlookers all cheered their team on and started chanting. Tetsumi shook her head, Kaijo was pushing defense hard and they were trying to restrict her from passing. Her cerulean eyes peered over to Kise, who only smirked at her triumphantly. Tetsumi felt the twinge in her knee getting a little stronger, but she did her best to ignore it. Against her better judgment, Tetsumi called Mitobe over.

The tall and quiet defensive player came to her side. Tetsumi wanted to get a score before the end of the period. Her eyes went to the clock, only fifteen seconds left. That would be just enough time to score another basket. She locked at the score, which had Seirin at 27 and Kaijo at 36.

"I need you to be a screen for me," Tetsumi whispered to him. He nodded his head in understanding and she continued, "Stay on Moriyama, okay." Mitobe smiled at her and nodded once again before walking away.

"What's the plan?" Kagami asked her when he walked by briefly.

"Don't take the shot, just pass me the ball," Tetsumi said, wiping the sweat from her brow. The redhead furrowed his brows and was about to protest, but Izuki was about to pass the ball. Kagami got open and Izuki quickly passed him the ball. The shot clock started rolling and Tetsumi ran past Kasamatsu. He followed her and Moriyama moved in just like she figured he would. "Kagami!" she shouted and he sidestepped around Kise, bouncing the ball on the court towards Tetsumi.

She caught the ball and backed up behind the three-point line. Kasamatsu and Moriyama blocked her, keeping her from taking a three point shot. She didn't want to take a three point though, but she was going to make them think it. Her eyes went to the basket and she squared up her shoulders. She pulled the ball back into her chest, looking as though she was going to try. Kasamatsu went in to block, but Tetsumi crossed the ball over behind her back. Moriyama tried to reach for the ball, but she spun around him. He stumbled a bit when Mitobe screened him in.

Tetsumi stopped at the free throw line and took the shot. With that beautiful sound of the swishing net, Tetsumi beamed when the buzzer sounded. The Seirin benched cheered as the first period came to an end.

"While we're on different teams," Kise began as he walked forward, gaining the girl's attention. "It's good to see you playing again." He smiled at her, and Tetsumi nodded her head in agreement.

"It feels good too," Tetsumi said.

"Stop flirting already," Kasamatsu snapped at Kise as he slapped him on the back. The blond got teary eyed and complained that Kasamatsu always hit him. The captain only snorted, saying he deserved it. Tetsumi laughed lightly and shook her head, causing both players to look her way in confusion.

"I'm sorry, but you're a good captain," Tetsumi explained as she regained her composure. "You two are obviously good friends."

"Let's not get carried away," Kasamatsu muttered. "He's like the annoying kid brother I never wanted." He nodded to Kise, who pouted and muttered a few choice words under his breath. Tetsumi smiled, and glanced back at Kise. She was happy that he'd found a team that could very well change him. At the end of middle school, Kise was undeniably cocky and self-centered, but it seemed to be more watered down. Kasamatsu must have beaten some of it out of him.

"Tetsumi don't mingle with the enemy!" Kagami shouted from the Seirin bench. She looked back at him and nodded her head. Tetsumi started making her way over to them, but Kasamatsu called out to her. When she stopped, she turned around to look at the handsome captain.

"I underestimated you," Kasamatsu said, placing his hands on his hips. "You're a better player than most."

Kise smiled brightly. "See! I told you, Kasamatsu-senpai! Tetsucchi is amazing, isn't she?"

Kasamatsu grabbed Kise by his ear and scolded him for being too hyper as he dragged him over to the Kaijo bench. Tetsumi smiled and chuckled lightly as she jogged over to the bench. A sharp pinch came to her knee and she limped a few steps before stopping. Tetsumi closed her eyes tightly and gritted her teeth as she tried to walk. The stinging pain trickled up and down her nerves.

"What's wrong?" Kagami asked as he came over to her. "Your leg?" he assumed with concern, gesturing to it. She had her head down towards the floor and swallowed the pain. It was too soon for her to get out, she had to suck it up and keep playing for a little while longer.

"Nope, I'm good. Just tired, hard first period," Tetsumi said, looking up at Kagami with a bright smile. She hid any traces of pain or discomfort. "Come on, breaks almost over." She started walking again, and thankfully the pain subsided.

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"Aomine-kun!" Momoi huffed as she stood at the entrance to the basketball court by Tetsumi's house. "What are you doing here? You have to go to practice! The game is next week!" the pinkette explained as she started climbing up the wooden bleachers.

The dark skinned basketball player didn't respond at all. He remained at the very top, laying on it with his hands tucked behind his head. Aomine had one leg bent and the other stretched out. His steel blue eyes flicked to Momoi as she stood on the bench below his own. He shrugged his shoulders, causing Momoi to lecture him. She ranted and raved about how he owed it to the team to go to practice, and that she was disappointed in him, and that he wouldn't get better at basketball if he kept skipping out. The last bit made him snicker, and he sat up slowly. He turned on the bench and planted his feet on the walking board.

"I don't need to practice, Satsuki," Aomine stated simply, meeting her gaze. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, scolding him for acting so proud and cocky. The basketball player only snorted and stared at the basketball court down below. "Don't you have anything better to do than lecture me?" he asked before laying back down on the wooden bench.

"Yes as a matter of fact, I do," Satsuki said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Aomine looked at her with a raised brow. "Well," he paused, but Satsuki remained where she was. "Go do it then." He waved her off, which caused her eye to twitch. She didn't understand why Tetsumi had a crush on him. He was so difficult. Momoi wouldn't deny she cared about him; in fact Aomine was her childhood best friend. There relationship was strictly platonic, but sometimes she felt like a mother to him.

"Get up," Momoi commanded, pushing his shoulder.

"No," Aomine replied with a sarcastic laugh.

"Get up, Aomine-kun!" she whined, stomping her foot in the ground.

Aomine furrowed his brows and turned to look at her. "Oh, I'm convinced," he stated sarcastically, causing Momoi to huff in frustration. "Let me sleep, Satsuki." The pinkette shook her head and pushed his shoulder again, telling him to get up. Aomine, being his usual self, refused once again and closed his eyes.

"Why must you be so difficult?" Momoi asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. The sunshine beamed down on them and there was a gently early summer breeze. It was a beautiful day to be out without a single cloud in the sky. Aomine never answered her question, and Momoi rolled her eyes. She wished she had a way to bribe him to get up. "Tetsu-chan is playing today," she informed him.

"And?" he prompted, his eyes still closed.

"Don't you want to go watch?" Momoi tried, but she already knew the answer. Aomine had been very anti-Tetsumi the pass week. He brushed everything about her off, and acted like it didn't bother him that they weren't exactly on speaking terms. Momoi wasn't stupid though, Aomine wanted to talk to Tetsumi so bad. It was evident by the way he acted. "Just apologize, Aomine-kun. Tetsu-chan isn't a bitter person, you know that."

"Goodbye, Satsuki," Aomine muttered, but the pinkette didn't leave. She just stared down at him and sighed softly. "Why do you care so much?" he asked after a few seconds of silence passed between them.

"Why else?" Momoi asked with a small chuckle. "You two obviously care about each other. Not talking to her bothers you."

"We've hardly talked since middle school, so it really makes no difference to me," Aomine said coldly, trying to brush off the fact that Momoi had hit the nail right on the head. She scolded him for acting so cold, but Aomine just told her to shut up and go. The pinkette sat down beside him and asked him why he was being that way. "Satsuki, seriously just go away."

"No!" she snapped, causing Aomine to open his eyes and gaze into the clear blue sky above. "Stop acting like this doesn't bother you! Like you aren't sad!" Momoi told him harshly. "You miss your friend, and it's okay! But you can't miss her if you don't make an effort."

Aomine didn't say anything, nor did he do anything. If he said anything Momoi wouldn't stop, she would just keep going. The truth was, Aomine was sad. He did miss his friend, but they weren't exactly friends anymore. They were rivals now, she was playing for her own team and that's all there was too it. In time, he would get over it and Tetsumi would find a new light. He just had to make his peace with that.

Momoi sat silently, waiting for Aomine to do something. He never did though; he just sat there in silence for the next five minutes like nothing happened. She frowned as she glanced down at him. His eyes were open and devoid of all emotion. The pinkette brushed her hair behind her ear and was about to say something when he phone started ringing in her jacket pocket. When she plucked out her phone, she raised a brow as Midorima's name flashed on the screen.

"Midorin?" Momoi questioned as she put the phone to her ear.

"_Put Aomine on the phone_," Midorima said suddenly, causing Momoi to furrow her brows in confusion. "_Momoi, just give him the phone, I know you're with him_." She closed her mouth and agreed, holding the phone above his face.

"What?" Aomine asked as he took the phone and put it to his ear.

"_You should come to Kaijo_," Midorima said simply, and Aomine's eye twitched. He could believe Momoi forcing him to go watch Kise and Tetsumi's game, but coming from Midorima it was just weird. "_Tetsumi-chan got hurt_."

Aomine sat up and narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"_Kise got a little reckless,_" Midorima explained.

"Kise?" Aomine repeated, gripping the phone tightly. "What did that idiot do?"

Momoi was sitting beside Aomine, wondering what was going on. The way he sat up and the tone of his voice made her worry.

"_He hit her—"_

Aomine hung up the moment those three words came out. He didn't care if it was accidental or on purpose, Aomine was going to break Kise in half. When tossed the phone back to Momoi and she squeaked as she nearly dropped it. She scolded Aomine, but stopped mid-sentence when he climbed down the bleachers.

"Where are you going?" Momoi called out to him when he reached the bottom. He didn't answer her. "Aomine-kun!" she shouted and scrambled down the bleachers to catch up with him.

* * *

-###-

* * *

It was a complete accident. Kise would never ever dare—let alone think—of harming or hurting Tetsumi. Aside from the fact he cared a great deal about her he knew that Akashi and Aomine would kill him dead. He trembled at the half court mark as he saw Tetsumi staggering near the hoop behind him. The third quarter was half way through and Seirin was closing the gap. He started getting aggressive, which resulted in him slamming his elbow into Tetsumi's face. All he wanted to do was block the shot, and when he succeeded when he ripped around, he hit her.

"Kise, it was an accident," Kasamatsu said as he walked up to the blond, clapping him on the shoulder. "Its just part of the game, sometimes we get hurt." Kise knew his captain was right, but it was Tetsumi! His friend, his former teammate, and he had drawn blood. If any of the Generation of Miracles found out he'd hurt her, even though it was an accident they'd beat him.

"Tetsumi!" Kagami called out when the girl collapsed, causing Kise's eyes to widen in horror. He shook his head as Kagami carried the girl in his arms and brought her over to the Seirin bench. The referee had called a time out while Seirin tended to the stunned and injured player.

"I'm so dead," Kise mumbled with fear, which made Kasamatsu furrow his brows in confusion. "Akashicchi is going to kill me…and Aominecchi…I don't even wanna think about it," the blond whimpered as he stared at Seirin's coach fussing over the wound Tetsumi had received.

"Who are you talking about?" Kasamatsu asked. "Just go apologize and get your ass back to the bench." The Kaijo captain shoved Kise in the direction of the Seirin team and walked back towards his own teammates.

When Kise was just outside of the circle of the Seirin team, he froze. Kagami was kneeling down beside Tetsumi, holding a cloth to her face. The white cloth was stained red and Kise felt his knees buckling. He didn't realize he'd hit her that hard. Everything had happened to fast, he was just trying to block Kagami. His success of doing so caused him to hit her it was a complete accident. Even though Kise knew that, he still felt bad for hurting Tetsumi.

"Is she going to be okay?" Kise asked quietly.

Riko stopped digging around in the first aid kit and looked up at the blond standing a few steps away. The entire team looked up at him; making him feel even more awkward than he already did. Riko grabbed a tube of ointment and some gauze pads.

"She'll be fine, but she's out the rest of the game," Riko explained.

"I see," Kise said, wishing he hadn't hit her. The game was getting very intense; Tetsumi was playing harder than he expected her too. Kagami was a real challenge too. Kise could see his potential. He understood why Tetsumi had taken a liking to the redhead; he showed true talent for basketball. "I'm really sorry, I didn't—"

"Ki-kun," Tetsumi said as she sat up, despite the protest of her teammates. "It was an accident, don't worry about it."

"But—"

"No, stop it," Tetsumi said, smiling weakly at him. "It was probably for the best."

"Come again?" Kagami choked from behind her. "We need you out there."

"During the second quarter my knee was really starting to act up, it was becoming almost too much to handle. But we were keeping up with Kaijo, I didn't want to stop, so I pushed through it even though it would have potentially wrecked my knee and leg." Tetsumi looked at her team and muttered a small apology before looking back to Kise. "Looks like I won't get to remind you of our basketball."

Kise stared at Tetsumi not knowing what to say. At the current point and time, Tetsumi had led the Seirin team to be tied with Kaijo. The score stood at a solid 68 to 68 with the ball to be Seirin's.

"Don't worry, Tetsumi," Kagami said as he stood up behind her, narrowing his eyes at Kise. "We'll remind him for you." The Seirin team all agreed as they stood up and looked at Kise.

"Looks like you have a new family now, Tetsucchi," Kise said, regaining his composure. He could see the fire in Seirin's eyes; they still had some fight left in them. It actually inspired Kise, and made him smile a bit. Tetsumi always knew how to keep the spirits of her teammates high. Even in Teiko, Tetsumi could light a fire within the team even during their darkest hour.

"So it would seem," Tetsumi said with a bright smile as she looked amongst the Seirin members as the rallied behind her.


	11. FOUR

**Author's Note: **Hey you beautiful readers! Thanks for reading into my story this far, I can't believe this story has over six thousand views. It just blows my mind! I'm not sure if this chapter reflects my best work, but I still hope you guys enjoy the end of the Kaijo vs. Seirin match, and of course Aomine and Kise's little squabble. Enjoy everyone leave me some feedback!

**Special Thanks To:** Lunary, Soma, TamashinoSuzume, cocobobo10, SoulXHunter, ImmaFAN, enchanted-nova, and Guest! I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations, you guys are amazing!

* * *

**FOUR**

Tetsumi sat nervously on the Seirin bench. The fourth quarter had just started moments ago. Kaijo was leading with a score of 86 while Seirin was fighting to keep up with 81 points. There was still eight minutes left in the game, and Seirin had more than enough time to turn things around. Riko had them playing defensively to stop them from making the gap any larger, but Kise was not letting up. He had turned up the intensity and was really giving Kagami a difficult time. Without Tetsumi in the game to move the ball around, Seirin was struggling. When she looked at Riko, Tetsumi could see the worry on the girl's face. She was thinking way to hard in Tetsumi's opinion, but Tetsumi knew how important this was to all the second years.

"This is going to be tough," Riko said dejectedly as she stood up, watching as Seirin tried to break through Kaijo's defense.

"Do you think we will win?" Furihata asked, looking up at Riko. She bit her lip and sighed softly. "What do you think, Kuroko-san?" Furihata looked at her, and Tetsumi looked back at him. She pressed her lips together and watched as Kagami managed to do a lay-up.

"As long as we don't give up, anything can happen," Tetsumi answered honestly. Right after she spoke, Kasamatsu and Kise preformed a fast break. When the blond slammed the ball into the basket, Tetsumi shook her head. "Ki-kun is good, but Kagami-kun can beat him." She was confident in her words as she watched Kagami block one of Kise's passes. He managed to get the ball and hurled it across the court to Izuki. The grey-eyed teen dribbled the ball down the court and easily put the ball into the basket.

"They meet us at every basket," Riko muttered as she sat back down. She rested her elbows on her knees and gripped her clipboard tightly. "We have to shake them somehow."

"Hyuga-kun hasn't missed a single three pointer," Tetsumi noted and Riko nodded, mentioning that when the pressure was on they could always count on Hyuga. The blue haired beauty nodded her head in agreement. She was trying to find a weakness in Kaijo's plays, but their movements and positions were well calculated. Tetsumi looked down the way to Takeuchi, who was standing up with his arms crossed over his chest. Even though Kaijo was winning, he seemed very nervous. He shouted at his players a few times, telling them not to be reckless.

"Kise-kun is incredible," Riko said as the blond weaved through Seirin's team to dunk the ball. Izuki passed the ball to Hyuga and they ran down the court. Kasamatsu stopped the captain but he passed the ball over to Izuki. When the vice-captain captured the ball, he crossed over when Moriyama tried to take it from him. Kagami ran up behind him and took the ball, dribbling it out to the three-point line. Kise covered him, but the redhead passed the ball to Hyuga. Kasamatsu went to block Hyuga, but he jumped too late as Hyuga went for the three.

The ball sank right into the hoop right when the shot clock hit zero. Hyuga pumped his fist in the air, and Riko nodded proudly. Tetsumi looked over to the scoreboard: Seirin with 86 and Kaijo with 88. There was still six minutes left in the game, which gave the Seirin team some hope. Tetsumi looked up at the second level, watching the Kaijo players cheering their team on. She noticed someone on the second level, standing quietly amongst the cheering team. Her eyes widened in surprise when she realized it was Midorima.

He noticed that she saw him and nodded slightly to her. She smiled weakly and looked back at the court, as Kagami and Kise went at it. They weaved around each other, dodging the other members on the court. Tetsumi stood up, feeling her excitement growing as Kagami managed to fend Kise off and dunk the ball over with an intense force. The Seirin bench cheered out in excitement and joy as Kagami had brought the score to a tie of 88:88.

"Kise!" Kasamatsu shouted as he fiercely passed the ball to the half court mark where Kise was. He caught the ball with easy and whipped around Hyuga and Izuki like they weren't even there. With a great force, Kise leapt from the ground and slammed the ball into the hoop.

"I will not lose," Kise stated coolly as he turned to look at Seirin. They remained steeled in their emotions as Kise's golden eyes darkened with a dangerous fury. "Not to anyone." His words were sharp and laced with venom as he glared at Kagami.

"This isn't good," Hyuga said as he used his jersey to wipe the sweat from his face. "Give it your all everyone, these last four minutes are going to be just like the first half." Right after Seirin's captain spoke, the team started moving again and the clock started counting down.

"Hyuga-kun, hurry! Mitobe, post-up!" Riko commanded.

"Go! Go!" the first years of Seirin's team chanted, encouraging their team to fight to the very end.

Tetsumi stood up from the bench and watched with calculating eyes. It was a shoot out, every shot Kaijo made Seirin made. They raced from one end of the court to the other. Their shoes squeaked loudly on the court, Riko and Takeuchi yelled at their teams, and the ball's bounced echoed in the room. Time was flying by as the teams racked up their points to 100 each.

Tetsumi looked to the clock, they had approximately a minute left. Kaijo just scored another two points, and Seirin matched their shot. Kise was getting angry, he stole the ball from Izuki and took a three point shot. Riko bit her lip and plopped back down on the bench, shaking her head as she stared at the score: Seirin at 102 and Kaijo at 105. Tetsumi looked at the clock they had thirty-seconds left.

Hyuga took a three pointer. It was a perfect shot.

"We're tied again!" Furihata exclaimed as his eyes watched Kaijo take another three point shot. "Damn!" he huffed as Kasamatsu sunk the shot.

"Call a time-out," Tetsumi said, and the whole bench looked at her in surprise. "Do it!" she snapped.

Riko nodded and waved the referee down. "Seirin calls a timeout!" she shouted loudly, and the referee nodded, blowing his whistle. Riko looked at the clock and took in a sharp breath. There was only twenty seconds left, they would have to tread carefully if they wanted to win. "We can't afford to go into overtime, what's your plan?" the brunette asked as she turned around to look at Tetsumi.

The team walked over, breathing hard and completely exhausted. Riko was right, those boys wouldn't be able to handle overtime and win. If they were going to win they had to do it within the twenty seconds. Tetsumi knew that Kaijo wouldn't be defensive, they'd continue to play fast and hard.

"Twenty seconds left, three point gap, we need four points," Tetsumi said, looking to each of the players. "I'm going in, you'll need my help with this play."

"But your leg," Hyuga said, gesturing to her bandaged leg. Tetsumi shook her head and assured them that twenty seconds wouldn't make matters worse. "If you're sure, what's the play," Hyuga said reluctantly, and Riko nodded in agreement.

"Four-point play," Tetsumi responded, looking at each member of the team as they fell silent. "Kaijo will have the ball, but we have to steal it from them. I'll handle that part; I'm going to pass the ball back towards half court, giving Kaijo enough time to catch up. Hyuga-kun you have to draw the foul."

The captain stared back at Tetsumi in disbelief. He blinked a few times and pressed his lips together tightly. A four-point play only worked if it was planned and timed properly. The pressure would be on him, but he would do it.

"Kaijo is playing aggressively, if Ki-kun doesn't give you the opportunity to draw a foul, Kasamatsu-kun will," Tetsumi explained as she used Riko's clipboard to show where everyone would be stationed. "Do you think you can do it?" she asked the captain as he stared at the game board.

"It's not a matter of can or can't," Hyuga stated firmly as he stood up. "I will make it happen." The second years all looked amongst themselves and smirked as Hyuga's darker side started to seep out.

"Alright then, Kagami-kun, Izuki-kun stay on defensive, do not let them through while I try to steal the ball." Tetsumi looked at the two, and they both nodded in understanding. "This will take a team effort to trip them up, so do not give up."

The referee blew his whistle a moment later and the team made their way out. Tetsumi took in a deep breath and high fived Koganei before making her way out onto the court.

"Member change!" the referee announced as Tetsumi joined her team on the court. She touched the bandaged on her head and sighed softly. When she lowered her hand her eyes went to Kise and Kasamatsu as they stared at her in disbelief. With a single nod, Tetsumi moved into position along with all the other players.

"Whatever it is that you have planned, Tetsucchi," Kise began as he walked past her, "you will not win."

"Then perhaps it's better if we don't win," Kagami piped up. "After all there is no point in living if there's no one strong to play. Don't count us out yet, Kise. Twenty-seconds is more than enough time to change everything. It isn't over until we stop fighting for it."

Tetsumi's eyes widened slightly at Kagami's words, she found them very inspiring. The way he spoke with confidence, reminded her of what it was like to play basketball because you loved the sport. A small smile graced her lips and she nodded to Kagami as he looked back at her.

"Focus! Kise!" Kasamatsu snapped at the blond, as he was about to pass the ball into play.

The ball was passed in and Kaijo did exactly what Tetsumi predicted. They were going to play fast and hard, assuring they keep their point gap. Her cerulean eyes found an opening as Kise opened up for Moriyama to pass him the ball. Just when Kise caught it, Tetsumi swiped at the ball, knocking it from Kise's hold. The blond's eyes widened in surprise as she ripped the ball away from him and hurled it with all her might to Hyuga. The Seirin captain was open for the ball with no one to contest it. Hyuga caught the ball and darted down to the corner pocket to go for a three pointer.

Kise raced down the court along with the rest of the Kaijo team, while Tetsumi stayed where she was. "Come on," she begged as Hyuga went into position at the precise moment. "Foul him, foul him," Tetsumi whispered to herself.

Hyuga was off the ground.

Three seconds…

He raised his arms with the ball in hand.

Two seconds…

Kise jumped the moment Hyuga let the ball go, bumping into Seirin's captain in the process. The referee's whistle blew for the foul and Tetsumi raised her fist into the air. Right as the ball swished through the net, scoring a perfect three.

"One free throw," the referee declared as Hyuga and Kise both got onto their feet. Izuki and Mitobe ran over to Hyuga and started jumping up and down around him. Kagami pumped his fist into the air and the Seirin bench was going wild. The game was decided before Hyuga would even make his shot, Kaijo was done.

When Kise was on his feet again, his eyes were filled with confusion and defeat. He looked over to Tetsumi as she stood at the half court line. Her eyes locked with his and she winked at him.

"Unbelievable," Kasamatsu breathed as they went to line up for Hyuga's free throw.

"Sorry, captain," Kise said softly with his head down as tears slipped from his eyes.

Kasamatsu looked at the blond and sighed, clapping his teammate on the back. "You got a lot of nerve to cry over a practice game, Kise," his captain said gruffly before pushing the blond playfully, causing him to stumble. "You did good. Now stop crying or I'll hit you!"

Kise looked back at his captain and nodded stiffly, putting a weak albeit determined smile on his face.

The referee passed the ball to Hyuga, who stood at the free throw line. He dribbled the ball a few times and got into position, shooting the ball with ease. The swish of the net was like music to Seirin's ears as it fell threw and was caught by Kasamatsu, who didn't even throw the ball as the buzzer rang loudly. The Kaijo captain rested the ball on his hip and looked to his team as they stood still trying to process what had just happened.

Tetsumi walked over to Kise, who looked at her sadly. "You were a tough opponent, Ki-kun," she told him with a smile and he nodded. "You have a good team, you should be proud of that."

Kise looked at his teammates as they were shaking hands and congratulating Seirin for their miraculous win. "We'll meet again, Tetsucchi." He patted her on the shoulder and walked over to his team right as the referee told them to line up.

The teams bowed to one another, and parted ways moments later. Tetsumi looked back up at the second level and saw Midorima had left the grounds. She fought back the urge to chuckle, and followed her team back towards the locker rooms to clean up.

* * *

-###-

* * *

"I can't believe you let her pull that play on you," Midorima said as he approached Kise, who was hovering over the water fountain. The water soaked into his hair and dripped down the side of his face. He straightened up when he heard Midorima's footsteps and looked at him in surprise. The last time Kise had seen Midorima was middle school graduation. "That was the same play she used with me in our final match before the preliminaries in our second year." Midorima pushed his glasses up his nose with bandaged fingers.

"How nice of you to come watch, Midorimacchi," Kise replied with a blank stare on his face. "And here I was missing your smiling face," the blond teased with a laugh as he turned off the water and rested against the sink, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That was an unfortunate game," Midorima said, ignoring Kise's antics entirely. The blond wasn't very surprised by it either, Midorima wasn't exactly the type to make snarky comebacks or joke around. Kise was about to speak again, but someone called out to him. Midorima turned around to see Takao walking up with his hand sin his pockets.

"Games over, let's go already, Shin-chan," Takao said and looked at Kise. "That was a bad call at the end there, jumping in to stop that three." The dark haired teen chuckled lightly as Kise narrowed his eyes at him.

"A monkey could have made those dunks, it's no wonder you lost. Your horoscope predicted it would be a bad day for you," Midorima said, and Kise rolled his eyes. For as long as the two had known each other, Midorima always preached about Oha-Asa and luck and horoscopes. Sometimes it really confused Kise, but it seemed to work well for the best shooter in the Generation of Miracles.

"I haven't seen you since middle school," Kise deadpanned, trying to change the subject.

"Oh so you're the former teammate," Takao said with interest. "Shin-chan has mentioned—"

Midorima hit Takao on the back of the head and glared at him. "Stop calling me 'Shin-chan', Takao."

Kise blinked a few times, confused as to what was going on. He would assume that this Takao person was on Midorima's knew team. For the looks of it, he didn't seem like much. Then again, Tetsumi didn't seem like much either and she had just mopped the floor with him. Not that Kise would ever admit that out loud. Midorima finished his scolding and tossed Kise a towel to dry himself off. The blond caught it and held it in his hand, staring at Midorima for a few moments.

"Why are you here, Midorimacchi?" Kise asked, putting all the bullshit and formalities aside.

"I simply came to watch the game, my team will be facing off against Seirin in the preliminaries for the Inter-High," Midorima explained simply. "They will not be a challenge for us, they aren't good enough."

Kise narrowed his eyes, feeling that Midorima was trying to be more insulting than he sounded. "Shouldn't you be telling that to Tetsucchi?" the blonde inquired with a shrug of his shoulders.

"There's no need," Midorima answered with a shake of his head. "I just came to watch, and I came to warn you."

"Warn me?" Kise repeated dumbfounded by Midorima's words. "What are you talking about?"

"So you lost, huh?" Aomine's voice came from behind.

Kise immediately tensed up and swallowed hard. He turned to look over his shoulder and met Aomine's steel blue eyes. For the most part the wildcard of the Generation of Miracles seemed calm, but Kise wasn't an idiot. He assumed two things, Aomine knew that he'd hit Tetsumi during the match and it was because either Momoi or Midorima told him. Kise knew that Momoi would have never done something like that, so he turned his attention back to the green haired shooter, who's lips curled into a small smirk.

"Yeah, I did," Kise answered before looking away from Midorima. He turned his full attention to Aomine, who stood tall and completely unreadable.

"Are you okay?" Aomine asked, as he leaned against the sink. His nonchalant act was really making Kise nervous; he wished Aomine would just rip the Band-Aid off. Of course, Aomine liked to mess with his victims, because he was crazy like that.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Kise responded.

Aomine pursed his lips and nodded his head. "That's good," he said as he pushed away from the sink, and Kise was about to run, but Aomine grabbed a hold of him. The blond whined as Aomine put him in a chokehold. "Cause I'm gonna beat you until your dead!" Aomine threatened harshly as he tried to hold Kise still, but he struggled to break free.

"Uh, should we stop them, Shin-chan?" Takao asked with a raised brow as Aomine flipped Kise over his back and onto the ground. The blond yelped in pain as he laid flat on his back, staring up at the blue skies above.

"No, let's go now, Takao," Midorima said as he pushed his glasses up his nose and walked off.

"Midorimacchi! You're a bastard!" Kise wailed as he dodged a few of Aomine's punches. The green-haired shooter could see to careless as he raised his hand in the air to wave goodbye.

"Just hold still and take it like a man!" Aomine commanded as he grabbed Kise by the collar of his shirt and lifted the blond from the ground. The blond closed his eyes, preparing for the worst.

"Dai-kun!" Tetsumi's voice shouted. "Rima-kun, was all that completely necessary?" she asked as she shoved between Midorima and Takao. The two basketball players turned to watch as Tetsumi scolded Aomine, telling him to put Kise down. Momoi came around the corner next and sighed in relief, when she saw Kise was still in one piece.

"Midorin," Momoi greeted with a small smile and walked past him. The green-haired teen nodded to her in response and looked back at Tetsumi as she glared daggers at Aomine.

"Put him down! It was an accident; we were just playing a game. He didn't do it on purpose and you know that!" Tetsumi chided while Aomine kept his hold on Kise, who seemed relieved that Tetsumi had come to his rescue. Midorima started to walk away again, but not before Tetsumi could shout at him. He stopped mid-step and glanced back at the blue-haired girl. "I know you called him so he'd beat on Ki-kun for you, Rima-kun! But seriously!" she shouted, and said person only smirked and continued on his way.

"Accident or not—"

"Stop it! Put him down, Dai-kun. Now!" Tetsumi scolded, and Aomine reluctantly put the blond copycat down. The moment his feet were on the ground, Kise slipped around Tetsumi and stood beside Momoi. The pinkette smiled at him and looked back to Aomine. "I'm going to get hurt, Dai-kun. You can't come after everyone who hurts me in a match." Her voice was softer now like a mother explaining something to a child.

"I could if you would just let me," Aomine muttered bitterly, avoiding eye contact with the girl. She rolled her eyes and took a step closer to him, garnering a glance from him. He saw the gauzed pads taped just above her eyebrow and sighed. "So you are okay?"

Tetsumi gave him a sympathetic smile. "Of course I am," she assured him with a single nod. "Stop treating me like I'm an invalid, okay. We're going to be rivals, I'm doing what you suggested, what all of you suggested."

Aomine and Kise both seemed confused by her words. She looked at Kise and then turned back to look at Aomine. Akashi made them swear an oath to see who was the best player out of them all. They would meet again at the Winter Cup and see who was the best. Tetsumi would make sure her team got there, so she could prove that her basketball was the best. Seirin was a team based on fundamentals that all the Generation of Miracles seemed to lack. She wanted to prove to them that without teamwork, hard work, and love, you couldn't win. It was an old concept that was lost to the Generation of Miracles and someway she'd make them remember it.

"You really think you can beat all five of us?" Aomine asked, staring down at Tetsumi.

"Well technically four now," she replied, holding up four fingers. The blond behind her deflated and Aomine snickered. "And yes, I do."

"It was only a practice game, Testucchi," Kise chirped. "I will have my revenge game on you."

"And I'll beat you again, Ki-kun," Tetsumi stated simply as she turned on her heels to look at him. The blond blinked a few times, impressed with how confidently she spoke to him. "As long as you all believe you don't need a team, and only winning is important…I will beat you." She pressed her lips together and looked back to Aomine, who shook his head. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket and turned on his heels.

"Whatever you say, Shorty," Aomine said before walking away. Tetsumi's eyes widened and she laughed lightly. It had been a long time since Aomine had called her by his pet name for her. She had to admit it felt kind of nice to hear it come from him again. "The only one who can beat me is me," he added before he was out of earshot.

"Aomine-kun!" Momoi shouted as she raced after him.

"Thank you," Kise said suddenly. "He would have beaten me up if you hadn't stopped him."

"You're probably right," Tetsumi agreed, causing Kise to deflate again and laughed sheepishly. "See you around, Ki-kun." She smiled at him and walked away to go find her team before they started worrying about her. Kise watched her run and waved goodbye before falling back against the wall beside him. He couldn't believe he actually lost to Tetsumi, on a play she and Midorima used several times during their middle school years. In a way it was a cheap play, but if they won it didn't really matter.

"Don't tell me your still crying idiot," Kasamatsu huffed as he stood in front of Kise with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Senpai?" Kise murmured as he locked eyes with his captain. "Nope, just had a little reunion is all." He shrugged his shoulders and smiled, earning a jab in the ribs from his captain. "Hey! What was that for?" the blond whined as he pushed his captain's fist away from his side.

"Because I felt like hitting you," Kasamatsu said simply before walking off. Kise pouted and called after his captain, following him back inside the gym.


	12. REASONS

**Author's Note: **Hello everyone! I'm sorry I didn't update yesterday! I hope this chapter was worth the wait, and the next couple of chapters will be a flashback to their Teiko days, I'm so excited! I can't wait to read your comments, and sorry for any and all mistakes and typos. Until next time!

**Special Thanks To:** Eyesfullofwonder, SoulXHunter, Soma, knbfan, enchanted-nova, , Lunary, invisible-gurl, and Piczle! Keep the feedback coming everyone, it inspires me!

* * *

**REASONS**

After the game, the Seirin team had forced Tetsumi to make sure she didn't gain a concussion from the violent impact. She had protested, assuring them that she was perfectly fine. In the end, Seirin had won the battle and got her to the nearest hospital. She sat on a chair in the room with Riko keeping her company. The nurse had just checked her out and told them the doctor would be in shortly to share the results. They had cleaned up her wound and said she wouldn't need stitches. That had relieved Riko and Tetsumi, and now they were sitting quietly in the doctor's office.

The blue haired beauty was thinking about her run in with three of the five Generation of Miracles. It had been such a long time since they had all been together like that. In a way it had been rather nostalgic, even the part with Kise and Aomine fighting. Those two often got into arguments with one another. Tetsumi knew that if she hadn't stopped Aomine, he would have pulled his punch anyways. Kise was one of his best friends; they actually got along quite well. Even though she knew that, she rather stop them and save everyone the panic. Aomine would have at best done what Kasamatsu had been doing throughout the game. Mostly friendly strikes as opposed to true violence, but at the same time Aomine was different now.

Things had been rocky between them for a while, but when he called her by his pet name for her it gave her hope. Somewhere deep down, the old Aomine was still in there. The young man she had fallen for was there and in time she knew he'd come back to her. Tetsumi had subconsciously started twirling her pretty blue hair around her finger. Riko was watching her curiously with a smirk forming on her face.

"What are you thinking about?" Riko asked, snapping Tetsumi from her thoughts. She quickly unraveled her hair from her finger and laughed lightly, apologizing for zoning out. The brunette smiled and waved the matter off. "You just had that genuine happy smile, but I don't think it's about the game."

Tetsumi shook her head, telling Riko it wasn't just winning the game that had her smiling. The brunette gestured for her to share what had her so happy, but Tetsumi was hesitant to explain. As she was having her little internal debate the doctor walked into the office. Tetsumi inwardly sighed, happy the doctor saved her from having to tell Riko about the Generation of Miracles. It wasn't that Tetsumi minded people knowing about her gifted friends, but she wanted to break away from that. She didn't want to be seen as the trump card for the Generation of Miracles. Tetsumi wanted to be known as a great basketball player in her own right, not because she played with those boys in middle school. It was a bittersweet memory to begin with, she hardly had anything to do with them.

Tetsumi knew that she had been a valuable player for them, but after her injury she didn't really have much to do with them. She was being modest of course, the rest of her second and part of her third year, Tetsumi helped them with drills and plays. When they started changing though and she vanished no one seemed to notice. It was at that point that Tetsumi realized that the Generation of Miracles—her best friends—they didn't need her anymore. When they won the championships in their third and final year, Tetsumi had not been present. They tried to look for her, but she kept her distance and avoided them well.

She shook her thoughts off as she realized the doctor was speaking to her. The days of Teiko were behind her, there was no point in dwelling on it. When she looked at the doctor, he smiled at her and Tetsumi smiled back weakly. She apologized and asked if he could ask her the question again. The doctor tilted his head and gave her a questioning look. Tetsumi remembered she was at the hospital because of a head injury. Not paying attention probably made matters seem much worse.

"I'm fine, honestly," Tetsumi assured the doctor and Riko, who both seemed very concerned. "I was just lost in thought." She waved her hand in the air, trying to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal. It was a losing battle though as the doctor eyed her curiously.

"Just to be safe, no basketball for one week," the doctor said as he scribbled something down on a notepad. Tetsumi wanted to protest, but she decided against it and held her tongue. Riko sighed softly, but figured it would be for the best. "Otherwise, I think you should be just fine. I'm giving you a clean bill of health, if any problems occur please come back in." The older gentleman ripped the paper he had written on from the notepad and handed it over to Tetsumi.

"Thank you, sir," Tetsumi and Riko said in unison as the bowed politely to him. The old man smiled and nodded his head, telling the girls they were free to go. As the two girls got up to leave, Riko asked if Tetsumi was sure she was all right. The blue haired girl laughed lightly and assured Riko everything was fine. She had a lot on her mind, but if she said that then Riko might try to pry.

"We should go out to eat," Riko said as the girls got into the elevator. "I'm sure the boys are starving."

"I could use a vanilla shake right about now," Tetsumi thought aloud, her mouth watering at the idea of a smooth and creamy shake. "Before we catch the train we should eat."

"Agreed," Riko replied as the elevator bell dinged and opened on the ground floor. The two girls walked out and spotted all the boys sitting in the waiting room. Izuki was the first to spot them and stood up as the girls came over. "She's good." Riko gave the boys a thumbs up, and Tetsumi smiled as she nodded her head in agreement.

"That's good, you had us all worried," Hyuga said on behalf of the team.

"I'm not allowed to play basketball for a week though," Tetsumi added in with a small shrug. "But really, I'm fine. Sorry that I made you all worry." She bowed to them.

"Don't be sorry, it wasn't your fault," Kagami chimed in and everyone looked at him. Tetsumi straightened up and looked at him. "But everything's okay?" he pressed before dropping the subject matter. Tetsumi nodded and showed everyone the note the doctor gave her, claiming she was okay and just needed to not participate in any vigorous activity for the next week.

"So who's hungry?" Riko asked, changing the subject so they could get out of the gloomy hospital lobby. All the boys announced that they were and started discussing where they should even go. As they started walking out of the hospital, Tetsumi walked along Kagami. The tall redhead was quiet, just following his team. When they got outside, Koganei mentioned they should go somewhere cheap because he was broke. Izuki seconded that option as they made their way down the sidewalk.

"Are you okay, Kagami-kun?" Tetsumi asked as they tailed the group.

He glanced down at her and smiled proudly. "I'm just thinking about the game," he explained and chuckled lightly as he shook his head. "Even though that last play was risky, it worked. Granted I would have liked to dunk the last shot." The tall teen shrugged his shoulders and stared straight ahead as Riko was arguing with the team about where to eat.

"It was a good game, Ki-kun has improved greatly. If he had worked more with his team things might have gone differently for him," Tetsumi said, and Kagami raised a brow at her. "At the end, he knew that play. He was so concerned with winning it cost him the game, but I digress."

"You are a very strange girl," Kagami said, and Tetsumi looked up at him cluelessly. "It sounds like you didn't want to win."

"No, no it's not that," Tetsumi quickly explained, shaking her hands in front of herself to dismiss Kagami's accusations. She was so happy that she had won, because that proved two things: it was possible to beat the Generation of Miracles and she could change them. Kise may not have acted on it, but Tetsumi could see that he belonged with the Kaijo Basketball Club. They gave him a hard time, but they obviously thought highly of him.

"What happened between all of you? If you were such powerhouses why did you go your separate ways?" Kagami asked curiously.

"It was just time I guess," Tetsumi replied with a halfhearted shrug. Kagami didn't buy that answer for a second, but he assumed that if she was beating around the bush she didn't want to talk about it. He decided to just save it for another time. "I miss them though," she added in quietly, and Kagami glanced down at her.

"So why did you turn Kise down?" Kagami questioned, staring straight ahead. The team had located a place to eat and called for them to hurry up.

"Just reasons," Tetsumi answered with a smile before jogging over to the team. Kagami didn't understand Tetsumi, she obviously had a troubled past when it came to the Generation of Miracles. He could tell she cared about all of them a great deal, and if any of them were like Kise. Kagami could only assume they cared about her just the same. The way Tetsumi acted, it was like she never wanted to part ways with them. His scarlet eyes watched her as she talked to Hyuga and Izuki. She was such a small person, but she was obviously tough. Behind that smile on her face, were many levels of confusion and guilt.

"Kagami-kun! Hurry up!" Riko hollered to him from the restaurant entrance. He started walking over and entered the place. It was a casual diner and over on the right hand side, the team was pushing some tables together. "Come on, we're celebrating." Riko patted him on the back as she skipped over to the table as everyone was taking their seats.

Kagami walked over to the table and sat at the seat across from Tetsumi. She met his eyes and smiled warmly before turning her attention to her menu. The redhead wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about the blue haired teen that was attractive. When she looked back at him, Kagami quickly looked away and Tetsumi giggled. His scarlet eyes flicked back up at her, and he smiled at her. She rolled her eyes and raised her menu higher to block her face.

* * *

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* * *

Tetsumi was full and decided to slip outside for some fresh air. She also couldn't watch Kagami scarf down another burger. Where he put all his food was a mystery to her. Sure he was an athlete and he was sizeable, but there had to be a line for the amount of burgers someone ate in one sitting. Tetsumi had even asked Kagami if he'd ever thought about participating in an eat competition. The redhead had told her the thought had crossed his mind when he needed money to buy new basketball shoes when he lived in America. That was around the time he was eating his twelfth cheeseburger. By his seventeenth burger, Tetsumi had seen enough especially when he down almost a gallon of soda with it.

When the blue haired basketball player got out, she stretched her arms above her head. Her cerulean eyes fell upon a handsome blond leaning against the back of a bench. Tetsumi furrowed her brows in confusion when the blond looked up at her. Kise smiled and spun the basketball he was holding on his index finger. He watched as it spun around and around before throwing it up in the air and catching it. Tetsumi placed her hands on her hips and gave him a questioning look.

"What's up, Ki-kun?" she asked him.

"Did you have some time to go for a little walk?" Kise inquired as he pushed off of the bench. He rested the basketball on his hip and nodded in the direction of the park just down the road.

"Sure," Tetsumi agreed with a single nod, gesturing for him to lead the way. As they started walking, Tetsumi closed her eyes and soaked up the late spring sun. The golden glow on the streets made it look like it was catching on fire. This time of year was always Tetsumi's favorite. It would be the perfect time to play some basketball on the outdoor courts.

"You know he's in love with you right," Kise said when they got over to the swing set across from the basketball court. Tetsumi looked at him and blinked owlishly at him. She had no idea what had brought that on all of the sudden, so she remained silent. "That's why he defends you, not to mention he blames himself for what happened to you." Kise sat down on one of the swings after he placed his belongings on the ground.

Tetsumi stood before him and looked away. She didn't believe this is why he had come to talk to her. "Is this what you wanted to talk about?" she asked him as she put her things down next to his. When Tetsumi sat down on the swing next to Kise, she pushed off the ground.

"Not entirely," Kise admitted with a shrug as he too began to swing. "I mostly wanted to ask your reasons for abandoning us back in Teiko, and for going to Seirin when any of us would have gladly taken you in our teams."

Tetsumi continued to swing. "You already know why I'm going to Seirin," she said to him, and Kise glanced at her before jumping off the swing in midair. When he landed on the ground, he turned around and looked at her. She continued to swing, climbing higher and higher in the process. "And I didn't exactly abandon you boys in Teiko."

"You're a bad liar, Tetsucchi," Kise commented and the blue haired girl laughed lightly. "Tell me why, I'm genuinely asking."

Tetsumi used her feet to stop the swing. When she stopped, she looked at Kise. He nodded for her to tell him and she sighed before standing from the swing. "Why does it matter?" she asked him with a shrug. "My reasons are my own."

Kise looked a bit hurt by her words. "We used to be best friend, Tetsucchi. Or have you forgotten that?" the blond asked a little harshly, causing Tetsumi to frown. She didn't care to explain her reasons, because no matter what they didn't seem to hear her or understand. Tetsumi had told them before exactly why she was leaving, they weren't the same boys they didn't love basketball anymore. All they cared about was winning and that was something she didn't want to be apart of.

"I've already told you, Ki-kun," Tetsumi said as she walked over to get her things. "I left because you boys aren't the boys I used to know, all that matters to you boys now is winning. And I would rather not be apart of that." She shrugged her shoulders and picked up her bag, slinging it onto her shoulder.

Kise stifled a laugh, causing Tetsumi to raise an eyebrow. "You think he will be any different?"

"What?" Tetsumi asked.

"He is just like us, Tetsucchi. You know that, I didn't believe it at first, but after playing him," Kise paused and shook his head before continuing, "They're so alike, aren't they? But you know that eventually the two of you will go your separate ways." The blond picked up the basketball, doing a few fancy moves with it. He rocked the orange ball back and forth between the back of his hand and his palm before tossing it to Tetsumi.

When she caught the ball she examined it for a moment and shook her head. "Even so, Kagami-kun loves basketball so deeply," she explained, and Kise crossed his arms over his chest. "Seirin is a brave team, they don't shy away from any challenge. I'm glad that I'm on their team, I'm glad that I met them and Kagami-kun." Tetsumi tossed the ball bask to Kise and he caught it with one hand.

"He's strong, but he's just a novice that is reckless playing any strong opponent for the sheer thrill of it," Kise stated with a shrug of his shoulders as he walked over to a bench and jumped up on it. He stared down at Tetsumi and passed the ball back to her. "One day he will get to our level and just like we parted ways…he will too. Do you honestly believe that he will stay the same person he is right now?"

Tetsumi stared at Kise and remained silent. She showed no emotion on her face as she processed his question. There was no way she could deny that Kagami could potentially change into what the Generation of Miracles had become, but she hoped he wouldn't. Kagami was different from all of them, even different from Aomine. Those two had a great set of similarities from their playing styles and attitudes towards basketball. Aomine may have lost his passion for basketball, but it wasn't lost forever. Tetsumi honestly believed Kagami would remind him of that love and passion. She looked back at Kise and passed the basketball to him.

"Good talk," she said simply when Kise caught the ball.

"I think, this little brat made it clear she doesn't wanna be on your team," Kagami said, and Tetsumi whipped around as the redhead towered over her from behind. He glanced down at her for a moment before looking back up at Kise. "So what the hell are you kidnapping her for?"

"Little brat?" Tetsumi echoed with an eye twitch.

"Kidnapping?" Kise repeated with a laugh as he jumped down from the bench. "Who cares if I want to talk to her for a little bit?" he asked as he stared Kagami down.

"I care," Kagami shot back and Tetsumi sighed. Was she going to have to always break up fight between Kise and someone else? The blond snickered and violently passed the ball to Kagami, but he caught it with easy. "She's on our team now, so leave her alone. Got it?" Kagami asked as he hurled the ball back at Kise. Tetsumi could see Kise wanted to argue, but she cleared her throat loudly. When the blonde looked at her, she glared at him and he sighed in defeat.

"I wasn't trying to convince her to join my team," Kise explained as he walked to gather his things. "I just wanted to talk. Do not lose in the Interhigh," he placed his bag on his shoulder and smiled at Tetsumi, "See you around, Tetsucchi. Oh and take care of my girl, Kagamicchi."

Kagami's eyes widened and he looked to Tetsumi then back at Kise. "Kagamicchi?" the redhead exclaimed in confusion.

"Ki-kun adds 'cchi' to the names of people he respects," Tetsumi told him with a smile. "You should be proud." Kagami scoffed at the girl's words and looked back at Kise. He waved to the two of them and continued on his way without another word.

"So what's the big idea running off like that?" Kagami asked her, staring down at her in a scrutinizing manner. She stared up at him and shrugged her shoulders, causing the redhead to roll his eyes. "Come on, everyone's worried about you." He nudged her with his elbow and started walking back in the direction if the restaurant.

"Did you hear us?" Tetsumi asked as they started walking.

Kagami nodded his head and pursed his lips. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his Seirin blazer and licked his lips. "You never answered his question," he pointed out and glanced at Tetsumi, who opened her mouth and closed it quickly. "Do you think I'll change?"

"Everyone changes," Tetsumi answered with a shrug of her shoulders. "It's inevitable."

"What a lukewarm sentiment," Kagami teased, causing Tetsumi to puff her cheeks a bit. She didn't want to answer the question mostly because she didn't know. People changed, it was a part of life to change as your grew older and experienced new things. Tetsumi wanted to believe that Kagami wouldn't change into what her friends became. "I'm giving you a hard time, whatever happens…happens." Kagami shrugged his shoulders and Tetsumi grabbed his arm. He stopped and looked at her hand on his arm for a few moments before meeting her eyes.

"You'll change, Kagami-kun," she said softly as she stared into his eyes. "How you'll change is the important thing."

"Don't worry, Brat," Kagami told her as he pressed his fingers on her forehead and pushed her back gently. Tetsumi stumbled a bit and glared at him when she regained her balance.

"Call me something else," Tetsumi said, shoving him back. "Brat just isn't working for me."

Kagami laughed and started walking again with Tetsumi at her side. "Sorry," he said to her. "How about Tiny or Pipsqueak or something?"

"Keep brainstorming," Tetsumi said as she looped her arm through his.

* * *

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* * *

Tetsumi took a seat beside Kagami on the bus and prepared for the horrible rush hour traffic they were about to be apart of. The whole team was exhausted from the game; everyone was pretty quiet. Kagami let out a yawn and slouched in his chair, resting his elbows on the armrests of the chair. Even though Tetsumi had only played for two and a half periods, she was even feeling it. The game with Kaijo was the first true game she'd played since middle school. It made her feel a little more confident about her ball playing. She looked at her knee and placed her hand on it.

Kagami noticed Tetsumi was rubbing her bad knee with her thumb. She must have felt his eyes on her since she looked to him. When she bit her lip, Tetsumi looked away and moved her hand from her knee. She sank into her chair and remained silent while Kagami's eyes stayed on her. His look was questioning her silently, but she tried to avoid it. Talking about her injury meant memories, and memories meant feeling guilty and afraid, and feeling guilty and afraid meant she would revert to fearing basketball.

Kagami didn't know this though, so when he didn't stop staring at her Tetsumi sighed. She brushed her hair behind her ear and looked at him. The redhead smiled at her innocently, and Tetsumi rolled her eyes. "You wanna know what happened, don't you?" she asked, nodding towards her knee.

Kagami pursed his lips and nodded his head quickly. "Actually want to know about you and the Generation of Miracles."

"It's a long story, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi explained.

"We got nothing, but time," Kagami pointed out as he glanced out the window. He had a point they were gridlocked on the highway for all the evening traffic of people returning home to their families. They'd probably be on the bus for about an hour and a half or so. She had more than enough time to tell him the story of her Teiko days. "How about just take it one step at a time."

"Meaning?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Tell me how you met them," Kagami suggested, as he got comfortable in his chair.

"I tried out for the team at Teiko when my school cut the girl's basketball club, since not a girls signed up. I cut my hair, wore my friend's brother's shoes, dressed like a boy, and went to try out. Two of the Generation of Miracle boys saw my potential and convinced the coach to give me a chance to prove I could play, at the time they all still believed I was a boy accept for one," Tetsumi explained in a quiet voice. Kagami looked at her as she stared straight ahead and fought back the urge to smile. She shook her head and laughed lightly as the memories started flooding back. "It was the third day of practice in my first year of middle school when the captain of the Generation of Miracles, Akashi Seijuro, who was vice-captain at the time…called my bluff after practice."

"You really pretended to be a boy?" Kagami asked, sounding surprisingly impressed with her story. The blue haired girl stifled a laugh and nodded her head. "You must really love basketball to have done that." He leaned back in his seat and gestured for her to continue. Tetsumi ran her fingers through her hair and began to share the story of how she had met the Generation of Miracles.


	13. TEIKO

**Author's Note: **Good day/evening my lovely readers. The flashback chapters are here, or at least Tetsumi being inducted into the first string. I really hope you all enjoy this chapter, please share your thoughts with me, I'd really appreciate it!

**Special Thanks To:** I ate fruit loops this morning, TamashinoSuzume, SoulXHunter, leah, iciclefangAJ, Soma, knbfan, enchanted-nova! You're comments inspired me to write this chapter! Thanks for your support!

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**TEIKO**

_She sat on the half court line, her knees curled into her chest and the basketball by her side. Her eyes were fixed on the hoop and she fell back, laying flat on the ground. As she stared up at the ceiling, she let out a sigh. Two days ago, she had managed to get herself onto the Teiko Basketball team. It wasn't exactly how she planned on joining though. Two of the first stringers, Akashi and Aomine, had seemed to taken an interest in her. While she'd managed to get on the team, being in the third string wasn't exactly exciting. The coaches didn't believe she was good enough; they felt she was short and scrawny. Of course, they also thought she was a boy. Her little charade was beginning to get a little taxing too._

_ It worked out that no one in her class was in the basketball club, and most teachers didn't seem to notice her. Actually, most people in the school didn't notice her that much at all. Tetsumi wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing at that point, but at the moment she just wanted to move up on the team. She hadn't seen the two boys that had managed to get her on the team, but she was sure they were around._

_ Tetsumi licked her lips and sat up, digging the heels of her palms into her eyes. She sputtered and decided she should head home. Practice had ended almost an hour ago, and she didn't want her parents to worry. Right when she stood up, she went to grab the basketball. Just before her fingertips reached, someone scooped it off the ground. Tetsumi blinked a few times in confusion and looked up to see the redhead with the sunset colored eyes. He stared at her and smiled weakly as he dribbled the ball. The echoes of each hit on the ground rang loudly in her ears. He didn't say a single word, but she was sure he was thinking something. No one could stare at someone the way he was and have a blank mind._

_ His name was Akashi Seijuro, he was a first year just like her, but somehow was also the named Vice Captain. School had only just started a week ago, and he'd already climbed up the ranks. Tetsumi had never actually witnessed him playing, but she was forced to believe he was incredible. He wasn't even very tall, maybe two or three inches taller than her. She was an even five foot, probably about the same weight as him too. It gave her hope that she too could play amazing basketball._

_ Akashi walked over to the three-point line and took a shot. The swish of the net made him smile a bit. He turned back to face Tetsumi as she stood in the middle of the court. The look on her face was a mix between confusion and amazement. Tetsumi couldn't make three point shots that went straight through, she also had to bounce it off the glass or it'd circle the rim. In fact, it was very rare for her to even sink a three pointer at all. The redhead went to get the ball and bounced a pass over to her. Tetsumi caught the ball clumsily and laughed nervous as Akashi stared at her with intrigue._

_ "How long have you played basketball?" Akashi requested as he remained where he stood._

_ Tetsumi thought about it for a moment and replied, "About a year or so."_

_ "Do you like basketball?" he questioned further, making Tetsumi furrow her brows in confusion. Wasn't obvious that she liked basketball? She had joined the team, and she had transferred schools just to play it. Somehow, Tetsumi felt like he was looking for something more specific._

_ "Yeah, of course," Tetsumi answered with a single nod. "Why do you ask?"_

_ "You were here yesterday evening after practice, just staring at the hoop," Akashi commented as he nodded towards the hoop. "So I'm forced to believe one of two things. One, you love basketball and want to get better at it. Two, you hate basketball and are playing for other reasons." He walked over to her, placing his hands behind his back. When he started circling her like a shark, Tetsumi started to get a little nervous._

_ "I do want to get better at it," Tetsumi admitted as he walked around her for a third time._

_ "Then how do you intend to do that by sitting on the court?" Akashi pondered, almost as if he was asking himself rather than her. Tetsumi looked into his eyes as he stood before her and shrugged his shoulders. "Just a thought."_

_ Tetsumi ripped her eyes away from him. "Can I ask you something?"_

_ "Sure," Akashi said._

_ "Why did you…I mean, I appreciate it and all…but, uh…why did you stick up for me in front of your coach?" Tetsumi asked, being completely genuine. She was nowhere near as good as Aomine was. He moved around the court like a gust of wind while she had no true talents to speak of. If anything, Tetsumi felt she would only be an average player at best. It stood true, seeing as though she was only on the third string and as it was the coaches didn't seem to like her very much._

_ "I had a feeling about you," Akashi explained._

_ When he didn't add onto that, Tetsumi laughed lightly and shook her head. "A feeling? What kind of feeling?"_

_ "Just a feeling," Akashi stated simply, making Tetsumi even more confused than she already had been. It was like he was playing a game with her._

_ "A good or bad one?" Tetsumi pressed, wondering if he could at least elaborate a little bit._

_ "I'm not sure yet," Akashi revealed, causing Tetsumi to deflate a bit. He was really an interesting guy; she couldn't read him at all. Granted she was only thirteen years old, but she couldn't tell if he was just messing with her or being sincere. As he spoke there was no breaks in his voice, his eyes didn't drifted around the room, and he wasn't fidgeting at all. Tetsumi was starting to believe that his answers were all completely honest._

_ "Right," Tetsumi said with a nod. "Well, I should go. It's late."_

_ "I feel you are very brave," Akashi speculated._

_ Tetsumi's eyes widened in surprise and she looked back at Akashi. "Brave?"_

_ He nodded his head. "Maybe you should tell people the truth."_

_ "Excuse me?" Tetsumi responded, slightly in shock. She didn't understand what he was saying. It was beginning to make her nervous. Her mouth opened to ask a question, but she quickly closed it. Silence was her best choice before she started to panic and said something she shouldn't._

_ "Be who you are," Akashi told her simply. "Just play basketball honestly." With those words, Akashi bowed slightly and walked away. Tetsumi was alone in the gym and completely and utterly confused. She wondered if he knew about her secret? How could he have possibly found out though? Tetsumi had been extremely cautious, surely he didn't know._

* * *

_-###-_

* * *

_ Akashi stood on the second level of the third string's gym. He watched curiously as Tetsumi was having a practice match with some of the other players. His arms were resting on the metal railing and his red eyes calculated everything. From the looks of it most of her teams opponents were not noticing her at all. Akashi didn't believe she was a bad player, in fact he believed she had a lot of potential to be someone great. She just needed someone to push her along. The other evening he wanted to confirm his beliefs that Kuroko Tetsuya was not a boy, but a girl. He managed to get her frazzled and found his assumptions to be correct. Akashi didn't say anything to anyone yet, he wanted to confront her about it first._

_ "Why are you watching the third stringers?" Nijimura, Teiko's captain, asked as he approached Akashi. He leaned against the railing and watched as the players ran up and down the court. Nijimura didn't think much of the third string members; they were the weakest links on the team. As captain though, he would never say such a thing out loud, but everyone knew it. "That one with the blue hair is really puny," he commented, pointing to Tetsumi._

_ "He is an intriguing player," Akashi said, catching his captain off guard._

_ "What?" Nijimura laughed. Tetsumi had the ball in her possession and passed it to another player, who scored a shot. The second year captain sighed softly and shook his head. "He's clumsy, don't you think?_

_ "I think he has potential," Akashi remarked, causing Nijimura to raise a brow at the redhead._

_ When the captain looked back to the court, Tetsumi had stumbled and ended up falling flat on her face. "Really? Where does he hide it?" the captain asked sarcastically before pushing off of the railing. "Come on, practice is starting in five minutes." He made his way towards the stairs, but Akashi stayed where he was._

_ No matter how he wanted to turn it, the girl impressed Akashi. She was going to great lengths just to play basketball. It was because of her desire to play that Akashi believed she was blossom into a lethal player. There was no denying she was clumsy, but with the right training she could be a threat. Akashi also found it interesting how most of the players ignored her, which made her valuable in itself. A player who was unseen could move the ball around the court without much of a hassle. The gears in his head were turning. She had the fundamentals down. Akashi pursed his lips and decided to pay a little visit before he left._

_ When he reached the court, the ball was knocked out of bounds and rolled to his feet. He knelt down to pick it up and glanced over to the coaches that were scolding the third stringers. Akashi spotted Tetsumi, standing on the other end of the court. She must have felt his eyes on her because she looked right back at him. He nodded to her slightly, and she looked away from him._

_ "Akashi? What are you doing here?" Coach Sanada asked as he walked towards the redhead._

_ "May I borrow him?" Akashi asked, gesturing to Tetsumi._

_ "What for?" the coach asked with a snicker. "He's nothing special."_

_ "Just for today's practice," Akashi interrupted before he could say more. Coach Sanada didn't seem to think much of it, but he shrugged his shoulders and waved the matter off. The redhead bowed and thanked his coach before waving Tetsumi over. She didn't seem very excited about it as she hesitantly crossed the court. "I would like you to come to the first string gym."_

_ "Really?" Tetsumi asked with wide eyes._

_ "Come, we're already late," Akashi told her as he handed the ball to Coach Sanada. As he walked off, Tetsumi stared at the coach. He nodded his head and she smiled weakly before running to catch up with him._

_ "Why do you want me to go to the first string gym? I'd just be in the way if I played with those guys," Tetsumi said as they walked out of the gym. They made their way down the covered sidewalk. When they reached the middle of the sidewalk between the two gyms, Akashi stopped. Tetsumi squeaked as she nearly collided with him._

_ "What's your name?" Akashi asked as he slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder._

_ "Kuroko Tetsuya," she lied, hoping he'd just go with it._

_ "I mean your real name," he said firmly as he turned around to look at her._

_ "What? That is my—"_

_ "No it's not," he interjected, causing Tetsumi to panic. She could feel her heart racing as his red eyes bore into her. He was searching for the truth; perhaps he had already found it though. It seemed like he just wanted her to admit the truth. "I told you yesterday, just be you." Akashi turned back around and continued walking to the gym, leaving Tetsumi standing in the middle of the sidewalk._

_ Reluctantly, Tetsumi made her way into the first string gym and was floored. Her mouth fell open as she watched Aomine veer through three opponents. He reached the hoop and leapt into the air, releasing the ball just before he went under it. The basketball went through the net, making that swish sound. When Aomine landed on the ground, he wiped the sweat from his brow and beamed brightly. The players he weaved through all sighed in defeat, but complimented the first year. Tetsumi had to admit, Aomine was an unbelievable player._

_ "You brought the shrimp here?" Nijimura asked a little miffed as he stared at Tetsumi. She stood in the middle of the doorway with Akashi and Nijimura both looking at her. It made her want to evaporate into thin air. Akashi's stare was blank, but Nijimura's was nothing short of annoyance. "What are you planning, Akashi?"_

_ "Nothing," Akashi replied as he continued onto the court._

_ "Should I go?" Tetsumi asked before Akashi went to play. The redhead looked back at her and smiled, leaving her question unanswered. The blue haired girl frowned and stepped into the court. The ball was knocked out of bounds by a tall purple haired giant. As it rolled over to her feet she stared at it, debating if she should pick it up or run and hide._

_ "Could you give me that?" the purple haired teen asked, standing by the boundary line. He pointed to the basketball by her feet and she just stared at him. His purple eyes locked with hers. Tetsumi was intimidated by his size, he was at least a foot taller than her. He had very beautiful eyes though, a warm lavender with pale skin. "What's wrong with you? Get the ball," he grumbled, glaring at her._

_ Tetsumi tensed at the harshness in his voice. It was bad enough he was big and scary, but now he was mad at her. Her knees buckled and she started to tremble a bit. The purple haired teen had lost his patience and started walking towards her. Tetsumi didn't move as he strode over to her. With his huge hand, he grabbed her head and Tetsumi squeaked._

_ "If you're just going to stand there, then you should get out of the way," he scolded as he pushed her back, causing to her lose her balance. She flailed her arms around, hoping to catch herself before falling flat on her back._

_ Just when she was about to hit the ground, someone grabbed her arm and kept her up. Tetsumi's eyes slowly opened and she looked up to her rescuer. She was met with emerald green eyes screened behind dark rimmed glasses. Just like everyone else in the first string, he was very tall and lean-muscled. His hair matched his eyes and fell into his face as he looked down at her. He didn't seem annoyed or angry, maybe a little confused. When Tetsumi stabilized herself, he let go of her arm and raised a brow at her._

_ "Who are you?" he asked, but didn't wait for a response as he turned back to the purple haired basketball player. "Murasakibara, it isn't polite to push people," he chided, but the person he addressed only grunted and walked away with the basketball in his hands._

_ "Thank you," Tetsumi said with a slight bow._

_ "You aren't first string are you?" he inquired, pushing his glasses up._

_ "Me? Oh no, not at all," she laughed nervously, waving the subject off. "I was asked to come here, but I think I'm just going to go." Tetsumi jabbed her thumb in the direction of the door._

_ "By who?" He stared at her and she stared back at him._

_ "Uh, Akashi," she said and quietly started walking to the door._

_ "Then you should stay," he told her, and she looked back at him. "I remember you, you tried out three days ago. You were put on the third string because of your lack of stamina."_

_ "Yeah." Tetsumi nodded and excused herself, trying to slip away. The green haired teen was about to stop her, but Nijimura called out to him. She looked back and smiled weakly before going to the door. RIght when Tetsumi was about to go around the threshold of the door, someone literally crashed into her. The girl screamed as she and the person who'd crashed into her slammed onto the ground._

_ White messy hair and narrow storm colored eyes was all Tetsumi had seen before she hit the ground. As she laid flat on her back with the heavy weight of another person on her, Tetsumi moaned in pain. Her vision was spotty and she could barely breath. Aside from the person lying on top of her, the wind had been knocked out of her lungs._

_ "Shit," the guy grumbled as he laid on her. "The hell...I didn't even see you."_

_ "Haizaki! You're late and injuring people!" Nijimura scolded from across the gym. The white haired male muttered a few curses and lifted himself off of Tetsumi._

_ "You smell fruity," Haizaki commented as he stared down at Tetsumi, who blushed. "And you look girly too." As he stared at her, his head tilted and his mouth opened. Tetsumi started to panic, her heart was racing, and her cheeks were probably redder than cherries. Haizaki's eyes drifted to her chest and he was about to grab at her breast. Out of instinct, Tetsumi quickly slapped him and scooted back a bit. "What the hell! You little bitch!"_

_ He stood on his feet and towered over her like a skyscraper. Tetsumi was instantly regretting slapping him, but it was a reflex. He was about to touch her in an inappropriate way, anyone could see she was being reasonable. As she stared at him with wide eyes and shaking like a leaf, Tetsumi prepared for him to hit her. His fist were clenched and his eyes narrowed darkly. He coiled his arm back and was about to strike her, but someone lobbed a basketball at his head._

_ "That is no way to talk to a lady, Haizaki-kun," Akashi stated as he straightened up after having thrown the basketball._

_ "You bastard," Haizaki growled as all his anger was channeled to Akashi, who didn't seem bothered by it in the slightest. Everyone in the gym had stopped what they were doing to watch the scene before them unfold._

_ Tetsumi felt like a complete idiot. Her cover was blown, she had nearly been violated, and now she was the root cause of a possible fight. She looked at Haizaki, who was much larger than Akashi. The redhead stood still and calm as Haizaki stormed over to him, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. Tetsumi gasped and covered her mouth with one hand. This was not at all what she wanted to happen._

_ "Quit your shit! You look like an ass!" Nijimura snapped as he smacked Haizaki on the back of the head. The white haired teen yelped in pain and quickly let go off Akashi. He whipped around and started shouting at Nijimura, who only elbowed him in the ribs. "You're causing a scene, shut the hell up already."_

_ Tetsumi sighed in relief, seeing Nijimura taking control of the situation. She licked her lips and soon realized that half the people in the gym were now staring at her. Tetsumi's cheeks flushed and she stared down at the ground. She didn't know what to do other than sit there on the court. Haizaki and Nijimura's arguing filled her ears along with the sound of her blood pulsing in her veins. She felt as though she was going to faint, but when the shrill sound a whistle blew, Tetsumi snapped out of it._

_ "What the hell is going on in here? You all should be practicing!" The firsts tring coach, Sanada Naoto, shouted as he stood in the doorway. He glanced over at Nijimura, who had Haizaki in a headlock. "Nijimura let him go," he commanded, and the captain of the team did as he was told. "Why are you in here?" he question, his eyes falling on Tetsumi._

_ "That bitch slapped me," Haizaki accused moments later, pointing to Tetsumi. She looked at Haizaki and then back to the coach, standing onto her feet quickly._

_ "Because you were going to touch her inappropriately," Akashi pointed out, causing Haizaki to snarl at him like a rabid animal._

_ "I was just making sure I was right," Haizaki seethed as he glared at Akashi, who was unperturbed by the anger seeping towards him. "And I was, so that little bitch owes me an apology."_

_ "Suicide runs, for the rest of practice and don't even think about stopping until I say so," Coach Sanada commanded, and Haizaki looked at him in disbelief. "Move your ass, Haizaki." The white haired teen snorted and did as he was told. "The rest of you get back to practice, and you," he pointed at Tetsumi, "you come with me."_


	14. TRUTH

**Author's Note: **Hello beautiful readers! Here is the next chapter to Shadow Play, I really hope everyone is still enjoy this story. Also, I have some news. First of all, we'll be having our first romance chapter next time. So you will no longer have to wait to see some fluffy and some drama. Next, I have been planning another story that will center around the Kaijo team. I was wondering if anyone would like to read that story? I've only gotten a brief outline for it, but if anyone would be interested in it I'd like to post it. Also, I will only be updating this story two times a week now, because I'm nearing finals at school and I don't have much time to write. But the moment finals are over I'll continue to update every other day. Many thanks to everyone who has commented on this story thus far, it's crazy to think that I have over 10,000 views on this story and that it has over 100 comments. You guys are amazing! Thank you so very much! And special thanks to **Lunary** for giving me songs to listen to as I write this story! Until next time everyone!

* * *

**TRUTH**

_Tetsumi was anxious as she followed Coach Sanada out of the gym. All eyes were on her as she walked with her head down. When she glanced up, she spotted Aomine looking at her with intrigue. She quickly looked away and stepped outside of the gym. Coach Sanada shut the door of the gym and sighed heavily. He rubbed the back of his neck and ventured over to a nearby bench. When he sat down, he looked up at Tetsumi. She stood still with her hands behind her back and eyes downcast to the ground._

_ "Are you alright, Kuroko-san?" Sanada asked her after a few moments of silence. He wasn't sure what to do in this situation. It wasn't like he had girl's pretending to be a boy to join the basketball team. Most girls at Teiko joined the dance team or the cooking club or volleyball. Teiko didn't even have a female basketball club, so if she wanted to play basketball it made sense._

_ "Yes," Tetsumi answered with a single nod, glancing at Sanada for a moment. She was having an internal debate on if she should apologize or remain silent. Either way, Tetsumi assumed the worse. The school would probably kick her out and make her back to Okudo._

_ "Please explain yourself, Kuroko-san," Sanada prompted with a wave of his hand. Tetsumi looked at him with an opened mouth, and the man nodded to her. She sighed and ran her fingers through her short hair._

_ "Okudo had cut the girl's basketball team, but I really wanted to play. So I got the idea to pretend to be a boy and transfer here. I wasn't sure if it would work, but it has up to this point. I'm sorry for lying, I never intended to hurt anyone or anything like that," Tetsumi explained honestly, hoping Sanada would be understanding. "I just wanted to play basketball."_

_ The man stared at her. Surprisingly, Sanada didn't mind a girl wanting to play basketball. Her methods might have been unorthodox, but it just proved how badly she wanted to play basketball. He licked his lips and pushed his glass up on his face. Tetsumi started rambling about how she would completely understand if she had to leave. Sanada chuckled softly and shook his head, interrupting her verbose. Tetsumi apologized quietly and stared at the man with worried eyes._

_ "Why didn't you just ask if you could play on the team before going to such lengths?" Sanada asked her._

_ "Okudo didn't allow me on their team, so I assumed that Teiko wouldn't be any different. Girls aren't as good as boys, at least that's what they told me." She pressed her lips together in a firm line after her explanation. Sanada seemed a bit surprised by what she told him and stood onto his feet._

_ "I can't decide what happens to you, Kuroko-san," Sanada explained to her, and she nodded her head knowingly. It was time to put the end to her charade. It looked like she wouldn't be playing basketball for either of the schools. She could always try going elsewhere, but her parents would never allow it. They didn't even know she was lying at Teiko, they assumed she was allowed on the basketball team regardless of being a girl. Eventually her entire lie would have exploded in her face. Tetsumi had to see the bright side of it all. If she had managed to drag it out and someone found out later in a tournament they could have been disqualified. Not that she really had to worry about playing in a tournament to begin with. She was only in the third string with little hope of moving up the ranks._

_ "I'm really sorry, Coach, I just really wanted to play basketball," Tetsumi apologized with a humble bow._

_ "I admire that," Sanada told her, and gestured for her to follow him. She followed him back to the gym. When he pulled the door open, the entire first string nearly fell over. The Coach glared at the boys and looked like a dragon about to spit fire. "Get back to practice!" he commanded harshly and everyone quickly dispersed to get back to practicing._

_ Tetsumi was surprised that everyone cared so much, but then again she had went a little extreme just to play basketball. Her eyes landed on Akashi, who was standing beside Aomine. She quickly looked away when they both looked at her. Sanada lead her towards the head coach's office on the second floor. As they went up the stairs, Tetsumi wondered what Coach Sanada was going to do. Although, she had a feeling he was going to tell the head coach about her little lie, and then she'd be asked to leave._

_ They arrived at the door, and Coach Sanada knocked on it. Seconds later, they were allowed entrance and they walked in. The head coach of Teiko's basketball club had his back turned to them as he stared out over the basketball court. He was well known to watch quietly from the second level, allowing the other coaches to do what they needed. His name was Shirogane Kozo and he was rumored to be a rather ruthless coach. When Tetsumi looked at him though, ruthless was the last thing that came to mind. He appeared to be a gentle and humble older gentleman with slicked back gray hair and a thin mustache to match. His attire made him look distinguished and well mannered. When he looked at the two who had come to visit he had a smile on his face._

_ Coach Shirogane pulled out his black rolling leather chair and took a seat. Tetsumi glanced at the wall to her right seeing a wall of many trophies, plaques, and photographs. They were from previous years that Teiko had emerged victorious in national and local tournaments. It was somewhat intimidating to see nearly fifty different forms of trophies stationed on glass shelving._

_ "Coach Sanada," the older gentleman greeted politely, resting his elbows on his red oak desk. "Is everything alright? It isn't like Akashi to engage in frivolous banter among the other players." His eyes flicked over to Tetsumi, who swallowed hard as her nerves started making her hands clammy._

_ "It seems our new arrival is not a boy, but a girl. She lied to get on the team because she loves basketball, I assumed this would be your call on what happens next," Sanada explained to the man, who pursed his lips and nodded once in understanding. "Akashi was only protecting from Haizaki, we all know how...unpredictable he can be."_

_ "I see," Shirogane replied and looked at Tetsumi. "Coach Sanada would you give us a minute?"_

_ "Of course," Sanada said with a bow and quietly left the room. When the door clicked shut, Shirogane gestured to one of the chairs before his desk. Tetsumi nodded and quickly took a seat, feeling a little more at ease than she figured she would. Shirogane seemed much less intimidating than Sanada._

_ "Akashi came forth yesterday evening that he believed you to be a young woman," Shirogane began, which caused Tetsumi's mouth to fall open. She had been right all along. Akashi had figured her out. "Granted he wasn't completely sure, but as it turns out his instincts were correct. Now, what is your name?" he asked her, looking and sounding as sophisticated as he could be._

_ "Kuroko Tetsumi," she answered. "Sir, I didn't mean to cause any trouble. All I wanted was to play basketball, and I understand that may not be possible anymore, but it was all innocent."_

_ "I'll make a deal with you, Tetsumi-san," Shirogane announced, his pleasant and friendly demeanor slipping into a ruthless appearance. He stood up from his chair and walked over to the wall of trophies. "Since you withheld the truth from us, I will allow you admittance onto the Teiko basketball team, under one condition." The gentleman turned around and held up one finger, smiling weakly at her. Tetsumi blinked a few times, partially surprised and partially concerned. It was exciting news that the head coach was going to allow her to play on an all boys team. She wasn't even sure if that was allowed, but she wasn't about to mess up her chances._

_ "And what is that condition?" Tetsumi asked, being hopeful._

_ "Make first string in two months." Shirogane looked her right in the eyes and smiled. "You do that, you're on the team. If you don't then you will not be allowed on the team. After all, what is the purpose of going to all this trouble if you won't even be known on the team?"_

_ Tetsumi couldn't really argue with his logic, but two months was not a long time. She had the basic skills of basketball down, and she truly loved the sport. Her cerulean eyes locked on Shirogane, who waited patiently for her answer. Tetsumi wanted to believe that she could get on the first string. It wouldn't be easy, but she knew if she didn't try, she would spend everyday regretting it._

_ "The first game of the prefectural's begin two months from today, I want you to play in that game as a member of the first string. You do that and I will believe that you are serious about playing basketball." Shirogane walked back to his desk and took a seat. He laced his fingers together and stared at Tetsumi._

_ Tetsumi sucked in a sharp breath and licked her lips. "Okay, deal."_

_ Shirogane smiled brightly and clapped silently, nodding to her in approval. "Then I will inform the principal and the coaches of the situation. Good luck, Tetsumi-san."_

_ "Coach Shirogane," Tetsumi began and he looked at her. "Thank you for giving me a chance."_

_ "Come, I will announce to the team you will be joining officially," Shirogane said as he got up from his chair. He waved for her to follow him out of the office and down the small hall to the stairs. As they went down the stairs, Shirogane asked Coach Sanada to stop practice for a moment. Tetsumi stood beside both coaches, feeling embarrassed as Shirogane had everyone line up. All the boys were panting and sweaty after having spent the past hour practicing and training._

_ "Coach don't tell me your gonna let that girl join the team," Haizaki said as he pointed at Tetsumi, who rolled her eyes._

_ "Actually, I am," Shirogane replied loud and clear, causing an eruption of whispers. Coach Sanada blew on his whistle, telling everyone to be quiet. "This is Kuroko Tetsumi and she will be joining our team until I say otherwise, keep your raging hormones in check or I will personally kick your asses off the team...that means you, Haizaki." Shirogane pointed at Haizaki, who scoffed while the rest of the team got a little laugh. He finished by saying that he wanted everyone to treat Tetsumi like any other player and quietly left._

_ Tetsumi watched the head coach walk away and looked back at the team. She pressed her lips together tightly, and bowed slightly. Coach Sanada placed a hand on her shoulder and looked to the boys as they gawked at her._

_ "It's rude to stare gentlemen," Sanada pointed out. "Get back to practice!" he snapped, waving them off and they all went back to what they were doing before, accept for two people: Akashi and Aomine._

_ "Should I go back to the third string gym?" Tetsumi asked the coach._

_ "You may practice here, there's only twenty minutes left anyways," Sanada replied and walked away, leaving Tetsumi alone at the courtside. She nodded her head and noticed Aomine and Akashi were still looking at her._

_ "I thought you were a little girly," Aomine said with a chuckle as he walked over to her. "Pretending to be a boy just too play basketball, I like you already." He slung his arm around her, causing Tetsumi to blush fifty shades of red and pink._

_ Akashi came over to them and smiled at Tetsumi. She stared at him and didn't return the smile. Instead, Tetsumi glared at him and shook her head. "You have a very strange way of getting people to be themselves," Tetsumi said, and Akashi laughed lightly. Aomine looked at the redhead and then back to Tetsumi, not understanding what she was talking about._

_ "And you have an unorthodox way of getting onto a basketball team," Akashi retorted, causing Tetsumi to puff up her cheeks. "I'm sure the coach didn't let you join for free though."_

_ Tetsumi nodded her head, and Aomine furrowed his brows. "He made a deal with me."_

_ "A deal?" Aomine repeated in question as he removed his arm from Tetsumi's petite frame._

_ "For lying about being a boy to the school," she explained and shrugged her shoulders. "He is giving me two months to be promoted to first string."_

_ Akashi and Aomine exchanged looks. They'd both seen her play, Aomine had even played against her for her tryout. He wouldn't deny the fact that she had potential, but she was still weak physically. Most of the boys in the first string would probably trample her on the court. Akashi seemed to be thinking the same thing, but he happened to see her small stature and being a girl a benefit._

_ "And if you don't make it?" Aomine asked her._

_ "Then he'll kick me off the team," Tetsumi answered sadly._

_ "Well then we got our work cut out for us don't we," the dark skinned boy said to her. Her eyes widened in surprise, she hadn't expected anyone to want to help her out. He smiled at her and softly punched her in the arm. "Don't look so surprised, we're a team. And anyone who loves basketball is okay with me." Aomine beamed at her and gave her a thumbs up._

_ "I believe you will be an asset to this team just by being yourself," Akashi explained, and Tetsumi furrowed her brows in confusion. He kept telling her that, but she wasn't sure she really understood what he meant. "Your natural lack of being noticed by people, and your small frame, plus you have the basic knowledge of basketball. What you do with that is up to you." He smiled weakly and walked away, leaving Tetsumi alone with Aomine._

_ "It's a good thing Akashi likes you," Aomine said, and Tetsumi turned her attention to him. "He's probably the reason the coach was willing to give you a chance."_

_ "He's different," Tetsumi said, and Aomine laughed a bit. He agreed with her and walked over to a basket that had several basketballs in it. "But I don't get what he wants me to do."_

_ "He wants you to be on the team," Aomine informed her as he passed her a basketball. She caught the ball, nearly dropping it to the ground. The boy laughed at her and shook his head. "You're really nervous aren't you? Cause the person I faced three days ago was sure of herself."_

_ "I will make it on the first string," Tetsumi declared as she passed the ball back to Aomine._

_ "That's more like it," he said when he caught the ball._

* * *

_-###-_

* * *

The bus came to a slow stop in front of Seirin High School. The breaks hissed as air was released and the driver swung the doors open to let everyone off. Everyone was rather groggy as they gathered their things and sluggishly vacated the bus. Tetsumi stretched her arms above her head when she stepped onto the sidewalk and rolled her neck. She had always hated the long bus rides; they always made her so stiff. Of course, the bus ride had only been an hour and fifteen minutes long. A yawn escaped her and she glanced at the time on her cell phone. It was currently 7:45pm and the sun was nearly gone from the sky. The streetlights had come on and she sighed. It was still another fifteen-minute walk back to her place, and her knee didn't really feel up for the challenge.

Riko had everyone gather before she let anyone go home. Tetsumi stood between Kagami and Koganei. She glanced at Kagami, who had listened to her story intently during the journey back. He knew she'd only scratched the surface about her Teiko days, but he seemed to be appeased for the time being. As she had told her story, Tetsumi had realized something. She missed the old days, when everyone was together and practiced together everyday after school. It was a bittersweet memory for her, but she was kind of glad Kagami had asked her. Tetsumi had met all of them a few years ago, but after telling the story it seemed so close. It had been such a long journey for all of them, and the sad part was that they'd come so far without each other. She often wondered how things would have been if they had all truly remained friends.

"All right everyone," Riko began with a bright smile on her face. The whole trip she had been very giddy, but who could blame her. Seirin wanted to beat Kaijo, but they didn't expect they'd actually beat the nationally ranked team. "Good work today, we'll get attention from other teams now. We have to keep up our winning streak and we have to keep working hard. I'm proud of all of you." She looked to each player individually for a few moments and sighed softly. "Now, go home and get some rest. I'll see you all at school and practice tomorrow."

After a few goodbyes and compliments everyone began to trickle off in their own directions. Tetsumi turned around to face the direction of her apartment complex. She stepped back when she nearly ran right into Kagami's chest. Her eyes gazed up at him in confusion. He stared down at her and looked a bit dubious.

"Do you miss them?" Kagami asked her. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his jacket and his eyes were locked with hers. She tilted her head slightly and chuckled lightly. Her reaction caused Kagami to furrow his brows in confusion. "You had this look in your eye like you did when you were telling the story. So tell me the truth, do you miss them?" he pressed, causing Tetsumi to sigh in defeat.

"Of course I do," she responded truthfully, and Kagami nodded once. "They were my friends not just teammates." The blue haired teen shrugged her shoulders and bent at one knee, slouching slightly.

Tetsumi knew each of the Generation of Miracles like the back of her own hand. Though they were different now, their core values were still the same. While their skills and talents had grown immensely since the last time she saw them, Tetsumi knew somewhere inside each of them were the boys who taught her to play basketball. Aomine may have become conceited, but it was merely cause he was so conflicted by his own talents. Kise was selfish, but after playing him today Tetsumi knew the fun loving boy was still there. Midorima acted distant and cold, but he still valued hard work and dedication, even if he wouldn't admit it aloud. Murasakibara could swear up and down that he hated basketball, but Tetsumi knew he only played so hard because he truly loved it and didn't want to lose. And then there was Akashi. He wasn't the young man she knew before, but Tetsumi had to believe she could bring him back.

"You said they changed," Kagami stated, snapping her from her thoughts. "You joined Seirin to prove a point, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Tetsumi replied with a nod, and stifled a laugh. "But not just to prove a point to them."

Kagami furrowed his brows.

"I wanted to prove a point to myself as well," she explained and walked over to the brick wall that surrounded the school's front entrance. When she leaned against it, she looked up at the sky through the knotty tree branches. There were a few stars twinkling overhead, and she looked back at Kagami. He came up beside her and leaned back against the wall as well. "After my injury I became afraid of playing again. I feared that playing would put me at risk for damaging my leg again. That was the worse day of my life, sure I can still play," she paused and fought back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. "But…everything changed after my injury. The boys lost sight of why we played basketball, my career in basketball was essentially ruined, and there was nothing I could do."

Kagami stared at her and quickly looked away when the tears rolled down her cheeks. He was never good when people started crying, especially when it was girls. Tetsumi slid down to the ground, and Kagami followed in suit. He bent his knees into his chest and rested his arms on them. Tetsumi had her legs stretched out before her and sniffled a bit, apologizing to him. The redhead shook his head like it didn't bother him at all, when it reality it was causing him to have a mild panic attack. He kept wondering if he should comfort her or just sit silently beside her.

"I sound like such a broken record," Tetsumi said with a small laugh as she wiped away her tears with the sleeve of her jacket. "I keep saying and thinking about how I can't play basketball anymore, when I actually can. I'm just afraid of it now." She shook her head and laid it back against the brick wall.

"It's hard to be afraid of something you love," Kagami muttered, and Tetsumi agreed with him. There was nothing worse than being afraid of what you loved. She just wanted to play with her friends again, even if they were opponents she wanted it to be like old times. Tetsumi wanted to go back to the golden days at Teiko, the days they laughed and joked around. Those days seemed like a foreign memory now.

"Kise, Aomine and I used to talk like this," Tetsumi told Kagami with a smile on her face. "The three of us would sit up on the highest row of bleachers and talk for hours. Actually, Kise and Aomine would argue more than talk." She shook her head and pulled her knees into her chest.

"We can do this," Kagami said, causing Tetsumi to look at him quizzically. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "Talk I mean, we're teammates and I personally feel like we should be there for each other." His scarlet eyes locked with hers and she smiled brightly.

"Thank you, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi said with a small blush on her cheeks. "I would really like that."

Kagami chuckled and stood up, dusting himself off. He held his hand out to her. When her hand touched his, he pulled her off the ground. "I'll walk you home," he offered, and Tetsumi blinked a few times in surprise.

"You don't have to," Tetsumi assured him. "I'm fine."

"No," Kagami interjected with a shake of his head. "I want to, so let's go." He nodded in the direction of her apartment complex. The blue haired beauty laughed lightly and nodded her head as they started walking side by side to her apartment.


	15. MEMORIES

**Author's Note: **Hi everyone! Thank you for the support on this story, I appreciate all the feedback I have been receiving and I look forward to what you all have to say about this chapter. Also if anyone is interested, I started a story that centers around Kaijo called **Collide**. Until next time everyone, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**MEMORIES**

Tetsumi was two days away from being able to participate in practice with her teammates. She and Riko had been putting together new plays for the time being. It had been going pretty well for them. The team had true offensive abilities, they could play fast and hard. Tetsumi wanted to give them a fail safe, a way to keep them from going to far. If they couldn't get grips on the pace of the game, they could potentially ruin themselves. Riko was standing on the sidelines, watching the boys playing. Her eyes were calculating as they moved. In two weeks they would be having another game against a team that had international players. She had a feeling this team wouldn't be an easy one.

Tetsumi was sitting on the bench, flipping through one of her notebooks. It contained training regiments that she used with the Generation of Miracles. When she flipped towards the end a picture slid out. Her brows furrowed together as she grabbed the photo. When she flipped it over, her eyes widened in surprise. It was a photo she hadn't seen in a few years. Tetsumi flipped the photo back over and looked at the words scribbled on the back.

"Don't forget how to shoot," she read out loud and chuckled. Turning the photo back over, her finger gently stroked across it. It was a photo of her an Aomine at the old basketball courts at the park near Teiko. They were these run down basketball courts with old hoops on rusted poles, faded paint lines, and cracks on the pavements. Leaves normally covered the court, so thick that it felt like you were bouncing when you walked. Aomine had his arm slung around Tetsumi's shoulders. His eyes were glowing with excitement and his smile was so bright, Tetsumi thought she'd go blind from the light of it. She was blushing like mad, holding a basketball in her hands, and staring up at Aomine.

The shrill of a whistle ripped her from her thoughts. She quickly put the photo back in the notebook and snapped it closed. Riko told all the guys to take a shower and then they'd go eat. As the boys all sighed in relief and started walking back to the locker rooms, Riko went over to Tetsumi. She took a seat and smiled at Tetsumi.

"So you never told me what you were thinking about at the hospital earlier this week," Riko brought up again, causing Tetsumi to look at her in bewilderment. It had been nearly a week and Riko still had questions. She had been hoping it would have just blown over. "Why had you with stars in your eyes," Riko elaborated with a small laugh, and Tetsumi pursed her lips.

"I guess I was just happy to see Ki-kun again," Tetsumi explained with a small shrug, but Riko didn't seem to buy it. She opened her mouth to say something else, but her phone started ringing. Excusing herself, Tetsumi pulled her phone from her bag and raised a brow. She wasn't sure she was seeing the name properly on the screen. When she flipped her phone open, she brought her phone to her ear. "Dai-kun?"

"_Come shopping with me,_" Aomine said the moment Tetsumi answered. She was about to protest, but Aomine told her she had to go with him. The blue haired girl raised a brow and looked at Riko, mouthing an apology. "_Don't come up with excuses, meet me at our place in one hour._" He didn't give Tetsumi a chance to decline and hung up the phone instantly,

"Dai-kun!" Tetsumi snapped. When she didn't hear him, she quickly closed her phone and dropped it in her bag. She bit her lip and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Riko-san, I have to go." Tetsumi stuffed her things into her bag and stood up.

"What? But what about lunch?" Riko asked.

"I know, something's come up," Tetsumi explained as she slung her bag onto her shoulder. "Tomorrow, practice, I'll be there." She smiled and waved before rushing off. Riko never got the chance to protest as Tetsumi was already out of the gym. She was relieved that Aomine had butted in.

Tetsumi stopped when she got to the front entrance of the Seirin. Aomine wanted to meet her at their place in one hour. She felt her lips tug up into a small smile. Of all the places they could meet, Tetsumi wondered why he'd want to meet at their place. The girl started walking again, heading in the direction of Teiko Middle School. It had been a long time since she had gone to their place, but there had been many times when she thought about it.

Normally, Aomine would go shopping with Satsuki. She was the one with all the fashion sense not that Tetsumi didn't know a thing or two about fashion. Tetsumi preferred to be in shorts and a t-shirt. It was very rare for her to be in anything else, unless it was her school uniform. She did dress up for graduation though, and while Aomine hadn't come to see her that day, he did send her a message telling her she looked beautiful.

She had been wearing a white dress with floral designs and a pair of heels. Her mother had forced her into them and she spent the whole day watching her step. Tetsumi had never really been the girly girl, but she did feel like a princess in her dress. That message from Aomine that day had also made her smile. She wished she had gone to talk to him, all of them really.

* * *

-###-

* * *

"Teiko Middle School," Tetsumi whispered to herself as she stared at the

The bittersweet memories came flooding into her mind. It was two on a Saturday, meaning any classes taking place would have already ended. She shook her head and laughed lightly, pausing for all the memories. Aomine just had to tell her to come here. She gripped the strap of her bag and sighed softly.

"Brings back lots of memories, doesn't it?" someone said from beside her. Tetsumi nodded and agreed, but then stopped. She quickly whipped around and took a step back. The person standing beside her was tall and handsome with stormy gray eyes. Her eyes widened in surprise, she could never forgot those eyes. A smile formed on her lips and Tetsumi shook her head. "Long time now see, Shrimp," Nijimura Shuzo greeted with a weak smile and laughed lightly.

"Niji-kun! Look at you!" Tetsumi exclaimed as she threw her arms around her former teammate, hugging him tightly. Nijimura laughed a bit louder and hugged her back and picked her up off the ground, spinning her around. When he let her down, Tetsumi placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back to examine him. "You're taller now, and so handsome. What are you doing here?" she asked, letting go of him and putting her arms back at her sides.

"Can't say the same for you," he teased, gesturing to her height. She probably grown three inches since the last time they saw each other. Tetsumi playfully punched him and laughed lightly. "My brother and sister go here now, both are in athletics. Brother's in basketball and sister's in volleyball. Why are you here?"

"Uh, I'm meeting someone," Tetsumi explained, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Nijimura raised a brow to her with intrigue, and she quickly shook her head. "It's Dai-kun, you pervert!" she barked, causing Nijimura to laugh again. The blue haired girl shoved him lightly and he stumbled, faking that she had hurt him severely.

"Shrimp and the all-star, I always saw that one coming," Nijimura said, causing Tetsumi to blush. "You two flirted so much it made me sick," he informed her. Tetsumi puffed of her cheeks and crossed her arms over her chest.

"We did not flirt," Tetsumi protested.

Nijimura snickered and placed a hand on the back of Tetsumi's head. He pulled her forward and kissed her forehead gently. When he let her go he tapped the tip of her nose. "It's good seeing you, Shrimp."

"We didn't flirt," Tetsumi mumbled, earning a chuckle from Nijimura. He ran his fingers through his black hair and patted her on the back.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," he said before walking off. He lifted a hand in the air and continued walking towards the gym. Tetsumi rolled her eyes and smiled as she watched Nijimura walk. She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head.

"Shorty!" Tetsumi turned to the sound and saw Aomine walking up. She had so many nicknames, all of them poking fun at her small size. The first person to ever give her such a moniker was Aomine though. Nijimura referred to her as Shrimp, Akashi referred to her as Hanaemi, and Kagami was still brainstorming supposedly.

She smiled at Aomine and waved to him. "You just missed, Niji-kun," she told him when he reached her. "He says hello."

"Too bad I missed him," Aomine said.

"Yeah, I can see you're all torn up about it," Tetsumi said sarcastically. "So what's up, Dai-kun? And don't say nothing, because you normally shop with Satsuki-chan and not me." They started walking towards the back of the school. Their place was on the roof of the athletics building. Aomine used to like to take naps up there, so when Tetsumi would go up to bother him they would ended up talking for hours. It became their place ever since she joined the team.

"Can't a guy just wanna hang out with his friend?" Aomine asked her with a shrug of his shoulders.

"A guy, yes. You no," Tetsumi teased, causing Aomine to push her gently off the sidewalk. She giggled and pushed him back. He tugged her ponytail, something that he had done for as long as she had known him. Tetsumi scolded him and smacked his hand away. "You confuse me, Dai-kun," she admitted when they reached the stairs that lead up to the roof of the gym.

"I confuse you? You're the one who's been PMS-ing the past like year," Aomine pointed out and turned around to look at her. She was a few steps behind him and stared up at him. "I mean you want to be friends and then you don't and it's all very confusing."

"Because you do and say stupid things, and then for like one minute I see the person I used to know," Tetsumi explained as she dropped her back on the roof's floor. She walked over to the edge and grasped the chain-link fence. "There is a soft spot inside of you, Dai-kun. The part of you that doesn't want to give up. The part of you that still loves basketball and misses the old days." Tetsumi turned around to look at him as he stood there dumbfounded by her words.

"I don't want to have this argument again, Tetsu," Aomine said harshly, causing Tetsumi to sigh in defeat. She didn't understand what happened to the basketball nut she used to know. Tetsumi bit her lip and walked over to her bag. She knelt down beside it and started digging around for the notebook from their Teiko days.

"Fifty-free throws in a row before you can leave practice, 100 suicides, 100 push-ups, speed passing drills, weaving drills, and pressure defense," Tetsumi read aloud from the notebook and glanced at Aomine. He raised a brow at her and tilted his head slightly, causing her to chuckle. "And then this." She pulled the picture out of the notebook and held it out to him.

Aomine grabbed the picture she was holding and flipped it over. A smile came onto his face and he laughed lightly. He glanced at Tetsumi and she nodded her head slowly. Aomine rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at the picture. It had been taken back in their first year, and he remembered that day so well. He licked his lips and handed the picture of the two of them back to her.

"No," Tetsumi refused shaking her head, holding the notebook to her chest. "You keep it. Maybe it'll help you remember." She smiled at him and gestured for him to hold onto it. Aomine opened his mouth to protest, but Tetsumi interjected by saying, "Don't argue. Just take it."

"It'll remind me of how lousy of a shot you were," Aomine teased, causing Tetsumi's smile to fall from her face. She glared at him and he laughed, waving it off. "Just kidding, I taught you well." He looked back at the picture and sighed softly. Tetsumi was right; the picture was helping him remember what it was like.

* * *

-###-

* * *

_ Aomine deflated as he watched Tetsumi go for a three-pointer. It was almost pathetic. She made only two shots out of ten, which was never going to get her on the first string. The only thing she really had going for her was her ability to pass and steal the ball, but even then seasoned players wouldn't fall prey to that easily. She definitely had agility; she was small and agile. The way she cut through the cones on the ground was like watching a bird flying. Her stops were quick, but her executions were awful. In Aomine opinion, she knew what she was doing but lacked the confidence._

_ When Tetsumi felt any sort of pressure, she seemed to panic. That panic caused her to think to much, which in turn lead to air balls or bouncing off the rim. He tapped his chin as she dribbled the ball around the cones and did a lay-up. Tetsumi was pretty good at up close shots, but most players could learn that simply. The truth of the matter was, Tetsumi needed to get over to fear of players being all over her. She needed to be okay with being suffocated by her opponents. Aomine clicked his tongue and stood up from the bench, calling for her attention._

_ "Akashi was right about your ability to slip by unnoticed and your passing ability is pretty flawless. Your stealing needs some work and your shooting, well…it's just, uh…it's not good," Aomine explained with a laugh as he scratched the side of his face. Tetsumi sighed sadly and placed the ball on the ground, sitting on top of it. The young teen looked at the girl and frowned. "Hey it's only been three days, we have plenty of time. I mean essentially we just have to make you the bottom of the top." He tugged on a strand of her hair, and Tetsumi swatted his hand away._

_ "Is that all we're aiming for?" Tetsumi muttered._

_ "He said first string, not first rank," Aomine pointed out with a wave of his finger. "I'll be right back, wait right here." He gestured for her to stay and darted back towards the indoor gym. Tetsumi didn't get a chance to stop him, so she just waved it off._

_ It was late April on a Saturday afternoon with an endless blue sky above them. She had still trained in the third string gym, but yesterday after practice Akashi had suggested she start training in the first string gym if she wanted a better perspective. He had a valid point, she'd really only witnessed Aomine play. If she wanted to know what exactly she was dealing with she'd need to know just how good the first string players were. Tetsumi knew they were no joke, according to the rumors she'd heard they were going to be the best team to come out of Teiko._

_ She reached for the basketball she was sitting on and stood up. Tetsumi had always thought she was good at basketball, but it turned out she was only mediocre. Aomine and Akashi both seemed to believe she had some sort of potential. Somehow she just had to figure out how to trigger that potential. As she dribbled the ball, she took a shot and it fell into the net. She smiled and went to catch the ball._

_ "Now that's what we need more of," Aomine stated as he came walking back onto the court. He was holding a white net bag that was filled with about eight basketballs. She raised a brow and questioned why he got more basketballs. He held up a finger and dropped the bag, opening it up and lining the basketball in a line at the top of the key. "After three days of observing you, I know where we need to start." He took the basketball she was holding and added it to the line._

_ "So what does a line of basketballs help me do?" Tetsumi asked. Aomine placed his hands on her arms and placed her on one end. He pulled a whistle out of his pocket and placed it around his neck._

_ "You panic under pressure," Aomine informed her. "Which is odd because you handled me pretty well at your tryouts. I think you just over think and get in your head to much. This is my solution." He put the whistle in his mouth and blew on it loudly, causing Tetsumi to flinch and cover her ears._

_ She laughed a bit. "You think hearing loss will help?" Tetsumi put her hands down and Aomine smirked._

_ "You speak fluently in sarcasm, don't you?" Aomine asked as he got on the other side of the line. "Think fast," Aomine told her and Tetsumi raised a brow. He blew on the whistle and kicked the ball up to her. The girl squealed and held the ball, staring at Aomine with wide eyes. "I'm gonna do that and the moment you catch the ball and hear the whistle, make the shot." He pointed to the hoop behind him and smiled back at her._

_ "Do I have to make every shot?" Tetsumi asked._

_ "Wanna make first string?" Aomine shot back, and Tetsumi puffed up her cheeks. "I speak fluent in sarcasm too," he chuckled and nodded for her to make the shot. Tetsumi rolled her eyes and took the shot. It bounced off the glass and fell into the hoop. Aomine gave her a thumbs up, kicked another ball to her and blew on the whistle just as she went for a shot. The second one didn't make it, but Aomine kept doing down the line until all nine basketballs had been shot._

_ "Three out of nice, isn't bad," Tetsumi said with a shrug as Aomine started putting all the basketballs in a line again._

_ "Try for four this time," he told her as he kicked a ball to her and blew the whistle. "Come on!" he encouraged, picking up the pace. Tetsumi scrambled, but she managed to catch each one. As she shot them to the basket, the first two made it perfectly, one bounced off the glass and right in, and the other six came close, but didn't land them. She sighed and let her arms fall to her side. "Practice makes perfect, let's do it again."_

_ "What if I don't make it onto first string on time?" Tetsumi asked, sounding worried as she helped Aomine line the basketballs up again. "I should just give up now."_

_ Aomine blew the whistle extremely loud. Tetsumi covered her ears and closed her eyes tight. When she turned around and looked at him, she gave him a questioning stare. Aomine dropped the whistle around his neck and walked over to her. "No, you do not get to give up. I'm not letting you give up, because if you give up then you'll never know just how good you can be." He smiled at her and patted her shoulder._

_ "You have a nice smile," Tetsumi complimented._

_ Aomine's eyes widened and he blushed a tiny bit. He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "We should, uh…you know, we should practice," Aomine stuttered out with a nervous laugh. "Come on, let's…what's with that look?"_

_ "You're blushing," Tetsumi giggled, causing Aomine to blush even more._

_ "Am not!" Aomine declared, turning away from her. He put the whistle in his mouth and blew three sharp blasts. "Get five this time."_

_ "I'll get five when you stop blushing," Tetsumi said as she stuck her tongue out at him. Aomine smirked and rolled his eyes as he kicked a ball at her. She caught it and laughed before taking the shot._

* * *

-###-

* * *

Aomine shook his head and handed the picture back to Tetsumi. Those two months they spent together, Aomine had fallen for the girl. She wasn't the type of girl he typically went for. When they were in middle school her boob size was well below average, but they had grown nicely. He wouldn't say that to her though because she'd probably hit him with a basketball.

"You know you'll lose to me," Aomine said.

"Why do you do that?" Tetsumi asked him with an eye roll. She took the picture from him and stuffed it back into her bag.

"Do what?" Aomine asked with a smirk.

"Don't you 'what' me, you know what," Tetsumi retorted and fought her urge to smile. Aomine shrugged his shoulders and sat down on the ground. Tetsumi followed in suit and sat down beside her. "They're good, you know. Really good." She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, looking up at the sky.

"Yeah, we'll see about that," Aomine snickered. Tetsumi rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. He looked down at her and smiled weakly. These were the moments he missed the most.

"So what did you wanna go shopping for?" Tetsumi asked.

"Shoes," Aomine replied with a single nod. "I want knew shoes to wear for the Inter-High."

"Then why are we sitting on a roof?"

"Because I want to enjoy this for a little bit," Aomine told her, and Tetsumi lifted her head from his shoulder. She looked into his eyes and he looked back into her. He smiled weakly at her and slowly leaned forward. Her eyes started to close and she leaned towards him. His lips hovered above hers and with one more passing moment, they kissed.

It was short, but it electrified her. Tetsumi pushed away from him with her eyes still closed. Aomine gently stroked the side of her face. "Let's go, Shorty."


	16. HUGE

**Author's Note: **Hello readers! I hope you all have had a nice weekend! So this chapter doesn't go much into the basketball match, but I really hope you guys like it just as well. Please tell me what you think, love it or hate it? Your reviews and comments keep me motivated to write. Also I apologize for any and all typos! And a huge thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter, and any chapters prior if you are just now starting this story! You guys are amazing, thank you so much! If you would like to read another KNB fanfic, check out my story **Collide.** Until next time, enjoy everyone!

* * *

**HUGE**

The preliminaries to the Inter-High was now underway. Teams from all over Japan were fighting for victory to secure their chances in the Winter Cup Tournament. From this point forward, all high school basketball teams would have match after match until the finals of the Inter-High came around. Tetsumi had faith that her team would succeed in the tournament, but she was worried about their first opponent: Shinkyo Academy. Riko was worried. Even though they were only a middle tier school, she had mentioned they had added a player to the team. This player wasn't just any normal run of the mill player. He was a foreigner from Senegal, who stood at six foot seven inches. That made this particular player the tallest that Seirin has ever faced.

"You sure you want to start?" Riko asked as Tetsumi sat on the bench tying her shoes. The blue haired girl looked up at her coach and smiled, nodding her head. "Okay, do your best." Riko patted her on the shoulder and turned to look at the boys as they were warming up.

The giant they were to be facing had yet to enter the court, but it appeared the rest of Shinkyo was ready. As they were warming up, Hyuga watched closely. They didn't appear to seem like much of a threat, but he'd learned from Tetsumi that looks could be deceiving. His eyes drifted over to Tetsumi as she stretched her legs before coming onto the court. She was small and seemed very fragile, but she had proven to be quite the trump card. What she lacked in size was made up in her passing and speed.

Hyuga took a shot, but the ball bounced off the rim. It rolled across the court and bumped into Tanimura Yusuke, Shinkyo's captain. The captain looked down at the ball and knelt to pick it up. When he held it in his hands, Hyuga walked over and apologized. Tanimura looked at Hyuga for a moment and passed the ball back to him. His tawny colored eyes studied each of the Seirin players. A small smirk came onto his lips and he ran his fingers through his light brown hair. Hyuga raised a brow, wondering what was going through his opponents mind.

"I heard about your win against Kaijo," Tanimura told him, and Hyuga nodded slowly. "The Generation of Miracles must have been a real joke if you managed to beat one of them." He placed his hands on his waist and chuckled.

Hyuga wanted to slam the basketball into his face. Not only was Tanimura coming off as some sort of smug bastard, but he was insulting his team and Kaijo. He could admit that Seirin didn't seem like a threat, especially with the rumors that buzzed around the Generation of Miracles, but to brush them off so casually. Tanimura straightened up and looked into Hyuga's eyes.

"This will obviously be a massacre," Tanimura stated conceitedly, striking a nerve inside of Hyuga. "With Papa on our team, you guys are gonna wish you never had to play us." He smiled innocently, and Hyuga gripped the basketball tightly in his hands.

"What's your problem?" Tetsumi's voice came from beside the two. Hyuga looked at Tetsumi as she put her hair up into her usual high ponytail. Her cerulean eyes were boring into Tanimura's, waiting patiently for his answer. The boy furrowed his brows as he looked at the girl, he hadn't even noticed her earlier. He clicked his tongue and pointed to her. She was dressed in a Seirin uniform and she had a fire in her eyes.

"Are you like the mascot or something?" Tanimura asked with a light chuckle, causing Tetsumi to narrow her eyes at him. She was used to people looking down on her. Kuroko Tetsumi was a girl playing amongst boys, while there was nothing about it in the rules, everyone thought she was a joke. Even during her Teiko days, most players disregarded her. Most people didn't even refer to her by name, they called her the Phantom of Teiko. She was done living in that shadow though, she didn't want to be known as the Phantom of Teiko, or the sixth man to the Generation of Miracles. Tetsumi wanted to be her own person, she wanted to prove her style of basketball was worthy.

"Who are you to talk so lowly of teams that have surpassed your own? Teams that have worked hard to become nationally ranked teams. They have won tournaments and championships, things that your team can only dream about. You have no right to come in here and trash talk other teams. That is a disgrace to your own team," Tetsumi told him coolly, causing him to shrink back a bit. "So tell me, who are you to talk so little of a team you know nothing about?" Her eyes narrowed viciously, even Hyuga was a bit scared of her. Normally she was so gentle and soft spoken, to see her lashing out was odd. Tanimura started stammering out words, but Tetsumi snickered. "Have some respect for your opponents," she said before walking away.

Hyuga watched his teammate walk past him and nodded his head. When he looked back to Tanimura, he could tell that Tetsumi had shaken him a bit. "That's Kuroko Tetsumi, a first year player on Seirin," Hyuga informed, and Tanimura looked even more surprised. "She used to play with that 'joke' the Generation of Miracles." He turned on his heels and followed after Tetsumi, leaving Tanimura both impressed and worried at the same time.

Tanimura looked over to his coach, who had been watching the whole thing. The old man walked over to Tanimura and sighed. "There's nothing against the rules for her playing, and despite what you think she too is a strong player," Hiraiwa Koji said firmly to his team's captain. "Papa will lead us to victory, but don't count her out. There's something about her." He walked away leaving those words hanging in the air. Tanimura took in a deep breath and looked at the blue haired girl as she spoke with Hyuga.

"I think that was the most I have ever heard you talk at one time," Hyuga said to Tetsumi as they worked on a few passing drills. The girl chuckled lightly and shrugged her shoulders. Tanimura had just angered her, she couldn't stand it when other players trash talked their opponents or any other players. "You seemed really angry back there," Hyuga commented, and Tetsumi caught the ball, dribbling it a few times before making a shot.

"I watched Teiko destroy other teams by humiliating them, disregarding their opponents hard work, and then trash talking them like it was normal," Tetsumi explained and shook her head in annoyance. "It's not right, no matter how weak a team is or no matter how they look, they deserve to be respected. And teams that are amazing should have some class, because what makes a true champion is sportsmanship."

Hyuga stared at Tetsumi. He smiled warmly and nodded his head in agreement. She never ceased to amaze him with the things that came out of her mouth. Throughout their practices, Tetsumi knew what to say and when to say it. She showed the ability to be a captain herself or even a coach. The way she observed people, learned their quirks and ticks was impressive. He remembered when she called Kagami out during a practice saying he gets too hot head when someone eggs him on, that he can't refuse a challenge. She told him that it made him an idiot, which irked the redhead. Tetsumi didn't seem to mind as the redhead yelled at her though, she merely said "I rest my case" and walked away. The entire team got a good laugh out of it while Kagami deflated.

"You're really impressive, Tetsumi-san," Hyuga said to her, and she chuckled lightly. "I'm glad you're on our team."

"Me too," Tetsumi replied with a single nod.

"Well looks who's here," Kagami said with a smirk as he walked up beside Tetsumi. He had a ball rested on his hip and was staring at the door across the court. Hyuga and Tetsumi both turned their attention and spotted Papa Mbaye Siki, or 'Dad' for short. "You excited yet, Munchkin?" Kagami asked as he rested an arm on Tetsumi's head.

The girl frowned and swatted his arm away. "I'm always excited," she deadpanned, causing both Hyuga and Kagami to exchange looks. They both laughed lightly, causing Tetsumi to pout a bit. "He's almost as tall as Mu-kun," Tetsumi commented as Dad ducked through the door, complaining that things were too small in Japan. He was dark skinned, huge, and slightly intimidating.

His arms were long, perfect for blocking, his legs were long, perfect for crossing the court with ease, and his hands were huge, perfect for stealing and holding the ball. Tetsumi could see that Seirin had their work cut out for them, but she was confident in her teammates. The past three weeks since the Kaijo match, Tetsumi felt as though they had all grown closer. They all trusted each other much more than they had when she first joined.

Tetsumi walked closer to Dad where the basketball she and Hyuga were using had rolled to. When she picked up the ball, she could hear the coach scolding the giant for being late. He apologized and started walking her way, completely unaware that she was there. When he bumped into Tetsumi, he looked around confused and looked down. She barely reached his chest in height. Dad raised a brow with intrigue and picked Tetsumi off of the ground, much to her annoyance.

"Little girl, you shouldn't be on the court, you'll be squashed. This is for big guys only," Dad told her, causing Tetsumi to stare at him in disbelief. His eyes drifted to her jersey and his eyes widened in surprise. "You're a player, little girl?" he asked.

"Put me down, please," Tetsumi said politely and Dad placed her on the ground and from his path.

"Well this is disappointing," Dad said with a shake of his head. "I was brought here to defeat the Generation of Miracles, but this little girl beat them? What a joke." He walked away, leaving Tetsumi calm, but annoyed on the court. The rest of the Seirin team were cackling like hyenas at how the giant had so easily moved her around like she was a piece of furniture.

"Okay," Tetsumi huffed as she chunked the ball at Kagami. He almost missed it from laughter, but managed to catch it before it clocked him in the head. "I'm officially pissed off."

"Guess we better show them why you shouldn't piss of little girls," Kagami retorted with a snort. Tetsumi raised a brow and jabbed Kagami in the side. The redhead yelped and glared down at her. "What was that for?" he barked, but Tetsumi only smiled and continued over to the bench. She picked up a water bottle and took a quick sip as Kagami came over to her.

"He's tall, he'll be able to block most shots," Tetsumi said, glancing over to Dad as he was warming up. "Riko-san told me that she had you working with Mitobe-kun the past week."

"Yeah, don't worry," Kagami assured her with a smile. "I can handle him."

"I know you can," Tetsumi complimented with a wink. The redhead looked away with a small blush on his cheeks. "Time to line up, let's do this." She turned around just as the referee called for the teams to line up.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Aomine stared at the hoop, dribbling the ball mindlessly at his side. He closed his eyes, held the ball with both hands, let out a steady breath, and shot the ball. A perfect arc and a smooth fall, the basketball swished through the net. The ball rolled back to his feet and he knelt down to pick it up.

"It's unlike you to practice," a smooth voice came.

Aomine stood up straight and licked his lips. He expected to hear Momoi's voice or even his captain's voice before hearing the voice of Akashi Seijuro. The navy haired teen threw the ball up slightly and caught it on the tip of his finger, spinning it around with ease. He folded his index finger down and caught the ball on his middle finger, continuing to watch it spin. Aomine threw the ball back into the air, caught it with the back of his hand and rolled it from his wrist to the tips of his fingers, rocking it like a boat on the ocean waves.

"Long way from home, aren't you Akashi?" Aomine asked, looping the ball under his arm and passed it to the redhead. When Akashi caught the ball with a single hand, his eyes bore into him. "Why are you here?"

Akashi dribbled the ball and took an effortless shot, sinking a perfect three. The net swished and Aomine retrieved the ball, resting it on his hip. He wiped the sweat from his brow and watched as Akashi looked around the outdoor court. It was the court Tetsumi and Aomine played on religiously when they were at Teiko. They didn't really train on this court, they played for fun. Countless one-on-one matches between the two of them took place on the courts just down the street from her house.

"What happened, Daiki?" Akashi asked with a raised brow as he started walking along the three point line.

Aomine furrowed his brows in confusion. He had no idea what Akashi was getting at. Sometimes Akashi was too much trouble for Aomine to listen too. He spoke in riddles sometimes, but when he was concise and to the point, there was no confusion. The redhead saw things better than most, he picked up on things much like Tetsumi did. He could read people so easily, which is what made him such a threat on the court. Akashi may not have been very tall, nor incredibly muscular, but his intelligence was bar none. Midorima had once said that Akashi's family was wealthy and expected the best. He further added that Akashi took multiple honor classes and aced every single one.

"I'm confused," Aomine said, hoping Akashi would just be straight with him. Sometimes the redhead was like a lion playing with gazelle. He liked to play around before going in for the kill. The only one who would dare to snap back at him would be Tetsumi. She had no special relation with Akashi, but for some reason he let her get away with a lot. He was never mean or cruel to her, in fact there was quite a sense of nepotism when it came to Tetsumi. Not that Aomine cared, Tetsumi and Akashi seemed to have a brother/sister type of love.

"As am I," Akashi stated, making Aomine even more confused.

"It's unlike you to beat around the bush," Aomine deadpanned with a snort. "Why'd you come all the way from Kyoto just to beat around the bush, I'm sure you don't have time for that."

"My apologies," Akashi said calmly, causing Aomine to tilt his head in confusion. "You have feelings for Tetsumi, do you not?" the redhead inquired, turning to face Aomine fully.

"Define feelings," Aomine said.

"If you hurt my Hanaemi," Akashi began his voice sharp and laced with venom. He was now in front of Aomine and placed a hand on his shoulder. His eyes were glowing bright as he stared into Aomine's, pushing him down onto the floor. The basketball escaped Aomine and rolled away, hitting the fence surrounding the court. "I'll make you wish you were dead," Akashi whispered into Aomine's ear before he walked away.

Aomine was shocked. Akashi had never knocked him down before. It all made sense why people feared Akashi. With a single touch of his hand, that dark look in his eye, and that serpent like tone of voice he could drop a person like a leaf in the fall.

"How...how did you even know?" Aomine asked as he stood back onto his feet, whirling around to face Akashi.

The redhead stopped by the entrance of the basketball court and turned around with a smirk on his face. "A little birdie told me," Akashi said with a chuckle as he continued on his way.

"I'm gonna kill that blond copy cat," Aomine fumed, knowing full well that if anyone would inform Akashi about Tetsumi and himself it would be Kise. The blond did have feelings for Tetsumi, but he knew that Tetsumi didn't see him that way. They had also gone shopping at the mall where Kise typically frequented, so he might have spotted them hanging out. Pulling out his phone, Aomine dialed Kise's number and put it to his ear.

"_Minecchi!_" Kise exclaimed happily, making Aomine even more angered.

"What's the big idea, Kise?" Aomine snapped. "You telling Akashi shit you don't know?"

"_What are you talking about?_" Kise inquired, seeming genuinely confused by his prodding.

"Don't play dumb, what did you tell him about Shorty and me?" Aomine growled.

"_Again...what?_" Kise asked with a small laugh. _"You've been sitting out in the sun too long, Minecchi. I haven't talked to Akashicchi in a month."_

Aomine gripped his phone tightly. If it wasn't Kise who had said anything, Aomine wasn't sure who had. He bit his lip and started wracking his brain for answers. "If it wasn't you...then who?" Aomine muttered, not really intending to have Kise answer.

"_Did you do something to make Akashicchi mad?_" Kise asked.

"I don't know," Aomine answered honestly. It wasn't like Akashi had told Aomine to stay away from Tetsumi, it was more like a warning to not break her heart. "I gotta go."

"_Wait! Tell me what's going on at least!_" Kise whined, but Aomine refused and hung up the phone. The last thing he wanted was for Kise to start intervening with it all. He shoved his phone back into his pocket and walked over to his ball. When he picked it up, Aomine thought about the kiss on the rooftop.

For three years, Aomine had wanted to kiss Tetsumi. She wasn't the type of girl he went after since her breast weren't large enough for his taste, but there was just something about her. When she smiled, he instantly felt better. She loved basketball, and even more she loved playing basketball with him. Tetsumi was always there for him, even if he pushed her away. They may have had some rough patches, but Tetsumi was his better half. Aomine could feel his heart beating a little faster and quickly shook it off. He couldn't afford to let his feeling for Tetsumi come over him. They were enemies until the finals of the Winter Cup.

"Sometimes I wonder why you even play basketball still," Momoi's annoyed voice came from behind him. He turned around and saw a pink mess of hair, leaning against the chain link fence. She shook her head and sighed as Aomine stared at her blankly. "It's like we're sentencing you to death when we ask you to come to practice, Aomine-kun." Momoi pushed off of the fence and crossed her arms over her busty chest.

"Go away, Satsuki," Aomine said as he started dribbling the ball, keeping his back to her as he prepared to take a shot.

"Don't be so rude!" Momoi exclaimed, but fell silent as she realized that Aomine was actually practicing. "Aomine-kun?" she whispered to herself as he shot the ball and ran over to the hoop when it bounced off the rim. He dunked it in with a fierce power and held onto the hoop for a few seconds before landing back on the ground. The pink haired beauty smiled happily and pulled out her phone, to inform the team that Aomine would be more than ready for their match.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Midorima leaned against the railing of the second level. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, watching as Tetsumi and Kagami used a beautiful combination play to score against Shinkyo, putting a ten point gap between the teams. Kagami landed on the ground after having dunked the ball and ran beside Tetsumi to the other end of the court. Midorima wasn't sure what they were saying, but Tetsumi smiled and fist bumped with Kagami. The green haired teen raised a brow, and realized why it was starting to feel nostalgic to him. The way Kagami and Tetsumi where playing was just like the beginning years at Teiko. Aomine and Kagami were very similar in play style and it complemented well with Tetsumi's play style. If she would just push herself out of her comfort zone, Midorima knew she would be a force to be reckoned with.

Back in middle school, Tetsumi was clumsy to put it simply. He had watched silently from behind the door as Aomine and Tetsumi would practice an extra hour after regular practice. One day, he had watched them having a one-on-one match. Aomine wanted her to steal the ball and make a three point shot while he tried to block. Several times, Tetsumi fumbled with the ball. Midorima quickly realized that she cracked under pressure. During a normal practice session, Midorima gave her a hint when shooting a three pointer.

He stood behind her, placed the basketball in her hands, and lifted her hands. "Your opponent will block you the moment you reach this position," he explained to her and pulled her arms back. "Step back," he told her and pulled her back gently with him. "Shoot." When Tetsumi had released the ball, she made a perfect three pointer. She was so excited she had whirled around and threw her arms around Midorima, expressing her gratitude profusely. It made him feel very self-conscious, but it was also kind of nice.

"Something wrong, Shin-chan? Your getting a little red over there," Takao teased, noticing that Midorima was watching Tetsumi play. "They're very impressive, don't you think?" the hawk-eyed player asked with a smirk as Tetsumi and Kagami weaved through Shinkyo, and slipped around Papa Mbaye Siki like he was blind.

"I, in fact, do not like them and do not find it impressive at all," Midorima muttered, pushing his glasses up his nose for what must have been the tenth time. "Shinkyo is just weak."

"Your tsundere tendencies are too much for me sometimes, Shin-chan," Takao chuckled as he leaned against the railing, resting his chin on the back of his hands. "Only a minute left, looks like Seirin isn't as hopeless as you thought."

"A twelve point lead against a mediocre team is frivolous," Midorima deadpanned, causing Takao to put a hand on his forehead and laugh. His green haired friend was so weird, but Takao had to admit he actually enjoyed Midorima's company. While he acted cold and distant, Midorima actually valued hard work. His high projectile threes were a god-given talent, but regardless of his ability to get 100 percent of his shots, Midorima practiced all the time.

"You sound worried, Shin-chan!" Takao exclaimed with a bright smile.

"Stop calling me that!" Midorima snipped, but Takao only laughed as he turned his attention back to the game. Tetsumi swiped the ball from Tanimura's hand and hurled it down the court to Hyuga, who shot a three pointer. When the ball was bake in Shinkyo's possession, Midorima noticed something.

Kagami stood in front of the tall exchange student from Senegal. It wasn't the defensive pressure that Kagami was exuding that had Midorima's attention them. When the exchange student took a step back, he prepared to go for a shot. Just as he released the ball, Kagami leapt into the air with an explosion of power and slammed the ball back to the court floor.

"Man that guy can jump," Takao commented, sounding both excited and impressed. "And he's only gotten higher and higher as the game's gone on." The gray eyed teen glanced at Midorima, who seemed to be noticing the same thing. Takao snickered, knowing full well that Midorima was starting to get very excited, on the inside, of course. Tsundere's were never supposed to show their excitement to the public.

"Let's go, Takao," Midorima said as he started walking away the moment the buzzer sounded. Takao watched his friend go and frowned.

"Don't you want to tell your former teammate congratulations?" Takao asked, partly joking and partly being serious. This was the second game they had came to see Seirin play.

"Don't be ridiculous," Midorima replied, scrunching up his nose.

"You're the one being ridiculous," Takao mumbled under his breath with an eye roll.

"What was that?" Midorima inquired harshly, but Takao held up his hands and waved the matter off.

"Nothing, shall we go?" Takao asked with a bright smile as he slipped passed Midorima and made his way to the stair case. When he looked back, he shook his head as he watched Tetsumi and her team celebrate their victory against Shinkyo. "Second thoughts?"

"Hardly," Midorima replied, ripping his eyes away from the scene and made his way down the stairs with Takao trailing behind him. Tetsumi and her team had improved since the last game. Anyone could tell they had upped the ante on their training regiments. Even though the had beaten Kaijo at a practice match, they weren't letting it go to their heads. Midorima was sure they'd cross paths at the Inter-High, but he was also sure that Seirin would not beat him.

"Just so I know, are we going to their next game too?" Takao teased.

"Shut-up, Takao," Midorima scolded, trying to hit him, but the small teen jumped out of the way. "You are, in fact, incredibly annoying." Takao only laughed at his green-haired friend's words and made his way out the door where their team was just arriving.

"Where have you two been?" Otsubo Taisuke, Shutoku's captain, grumbled in annoyance as Takao and Midorima casually walked up. He was quite the intimidating man. Otsubo was tall, spoke with a heavy voice, and had very broad shoulders. When he was on the court it was almost impossible to stop his powerful dunking ability. Of course, he hadn't become the captain of Shutoku, one of the Three Kings of Tokyo, by picking flowers.

"Someone give me a pineapple!" Miyaji Kiyoshi shouted as he glared at Midorima and Takao, who both stepped back. Most of the time no one ever gave the slim dusty blond a pineapple, but just the thought of being struck by one was enough to make them take caution.

"We got here early to watch the match," Takao explained, hoping that his seniors on the team would accept that. "Shin-chan's former teammate is on Seirin, and being the worry-wart he is, he had to make sure she didn't get hurt again."

"Hey!" Midorima snapped, threatening to hit Takao, but the dark haired player moved out of his reach. "We're ready, sorry for the inconvenience." Midorima pushed up his glasses and looked at his seniors.

"Let's go then," Otsubo commanded with a wave of his hand, leading the Shutoku Basketball Team into the stadium.


	17. FRIEND

**Author's Note: **Good Day/Night Everyone! I can't believe we're almost at 20 chapters! And that this story is going to be a month old soon, so crazy how far we've come. We still have quite a ways to go as well. Anyways, I just want to thank you all for reading this story, reviewing/commenting, adding it to your favorites and follows, and all that jazz! I really hope to see a lot of feedback on this next chapter, so please share your thoughts, they give me the fuel to keep writing! Until next time everyone!

* * *

**FRIEND**

Tetsumi walked over to the vending machines to get herself a drink. As she was mulling over what flavor she wanted, she didn't notice Midorima standing behind her. She placed her money into the machine and pressed the button of the grape flavored sports drink. When the bottle came out of the slot, Tetsumi tried to get the cap off. As she struggled with it, Midorima couldn't help but laugh. The sound of laughter caused Tetsumi to freeze and slowly turn. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she chuckled slightly seeing Midorima dressed in his orange blazer that bore the Shutoku name.

"You look like a carrot, Rima-kun," Tetsumi noted with a smile, but Midorima only frowned at her statement. "I mean, hello." She giggled, and Midorima rolled his pretty green eyes. Tetsumi had a knack for pointing out odd things, especially around him. When he had asked her about it, she had informed him it was so she could understand what it was like to be weird like him. He, of course, took offense to it, but managed to keep his composure.

"How was your match?" Midorima asked, acting like he had arrived an hour before he had too just so he could watch the game. Tetsumi didn't seem to hear his question as she struggled to twist the cap off her drink. She started muttering a few select words. The green-haired teen raised a brow and just took the bottle from her. Tetsumi opened her mouth to protest, but Midorima twisted the cap off with ease and handed it over. The blue haired girl smiled softly and took the bottle and cap from him.

"Bandaged fingers," Tetsumi muttered as she stared at his hand for a moment. "Thank you." She lifted the bottle and took a quick sip, letting out a refreshed breath. "Where's your lucky item for today?" she question when she noticed he wasn't carrying an odd trinket with him.

Midorima reached behind his shirt, pulling up a silver chain with a dog tag on it. Tetsumi pursed her lips and nodded slowly, reading the word Luck stamped into it. "How was your game?" he inquired again, now that he had her full attention.

"You actually care?" Tetsumi asked with an interested gaze. Midorima looked away from the girl and pushed his glasses up his nose. "It went well, thanks for asking." She smiled at him, and Midorima gave her a sideways glance.

"Until we meet again, Tetsumi-chan," Midorima said before he walked away.

"He came early to watch," Takao said as he walked from around the corner. Tetsumi looked at the dark haired teen, and remembered he was the one on the bicycle and the one who was there after the Kaijo match. She nodded to him knowingly, and glanced back in the direction Midorima had gone. "I think he worries about you, should he be worried?" Takao asked, placing his hands behind his head as he approached Tetsumi.

"No, I don't think so," Tetsumi answered honestly, and Takao smirked at her. "Take care of him for me." She screwed the cap of her drink back on and politely excused herself before walking away.

"I'm only one man," Takao sighed theatrically before tailing after Midorima.

Tetsumi looked back over her shoulder and smiled happily. It was good to know that her teammates were settling in nicely with their teams. Kise seemed to be right at home with the boys at Kaijo. Kasamatsu may have been tough one him, but Tetsumi could see that they were pretty good friends. She was even more surprised that Midorima, who by all counts was an oddball, had someone willing to put up with his level of crazy. Takao seemed to be just the type of person Midorima needed in his life, someone who could keep him on his toes. It made her wonder if Murasakibara, Aomine, and Akashi had found friends within their own teams. She had her doubts with Aomine and Akashi, but all Murasakibara really needed was someone to give him snacks and he'd be their friend until death parted them.

Tetsumi weaved through the crowds of people that were going to watch the Shutoku match. She would have liked to watch their match, but Riko and the rest of the team were too excited about their win. They all wanted to go out and eat and spend the rest of the evening relaxing. The preliminaries were going to get harder from here on in. Tetsumi was actually excited; she couldn't wait until they reached the finals. Her phone started vibrating in her pocket. She assumed it was Kagami, wanting her to hurry up so they could eat. When she looked at her phone, Tetsumi stopped walking in the middle of the lobby.

"Sei-kun?" Tetsumi muttered as she saw she had received a message from him. She hadn't anticipated hearing from him. To her understanding, Rakuzan's first match wasn't until next week. She wondered if Midorima had told him about how their first match for the prelims had gone. Tetsumi started walking slowly again as she opened up the message to read it.

**To:** Kuroko Tetsumi

**From: **Akashi Seijuro

**Message: **I wish to speak with you in person. Please come to Yakamiya at 6:30pm this evening. We have reservations.

Tetsumi stared at the screen for what seemed like hours. She shook her head and sighed softly, wondering what was going on. It wasn't like Akashi to just pop in and invite her to dinner. Actually, the popping in part was quite common; it was the dinner part that made her nervous. Tetsumi knew she couldn't refuse, but she wondered why he was in Tokyo already.

"Munchkin! Before the finals would be nice!" Kagami hollered from the bottom of the building staircase. He was waving her over while the rest of the team were chatting about the game. "Come on, let's go! I'm starving!" the redhead shouted, and Tetsumi looked at him before closing her phone.

"Sorry! I couldn't decide what I wanted," Tetsumi explained as she trotted down the stairs. She slipped her phone back into the pocket of her Seirin blazer. "So what's for lunch?" she asked.

"Maji Burger, what else?" Kagami chuckled as he threw an arm around her shoulder and dragged her along. The rest of the team followed behind, still gabbing about how Kagami had taken on Dad.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Yakamiya wasn't some casual restaurant; it was a higher-class restaurant. Tetsumi had heard her mom raving about it once to Akashi, no less. His family was rather wealthy and according to Akashi, his father often had business meetings there. Akashi said he had spent many times there when he was younger. As Tetsumi stared at the restaurant, she licked her lips and sighed. Six and a half hours ago, she had been lazily lounging in a booth at Maji Burger with her teammates, and now she was in a dress and two-inch heels. Her heels clicked on the stone sidewalk leading up to the front entrance.

"Good evening," the host greeted politely when Tetsumi walked through the glass doors. "How may I help you?" he asked. It was 6:30 on the dot, so she was certain Akashi was already at the table.

"I'm meeting someone," Tetsumi said, clasping tightly to her small black clutch that contained her cellphone, keys, and a tube of pink lip-gloss. "Akashi Seijuro." The man nodded and smiled, gesturing for her to follow him into the restaurant.

The room was dimly lit with natural tones of smooth maple wood ceilings, white paper lanterns that added a bit of culture, dark stone square pillars were sanctioned around the restaurant, white clay vases were stations on glass shelves, and metal pots were filled with twisted tree branches that were spray painted white. Tetsumi was in awe of how beautiful the restaurant was. The man in the fancy suit brought her to a wall of windows that overlooked the garden outside.

"Akashi-sama," the gentleman interrupted, causing the redhead to look up from the menu you was reading. "Kuroko-san has arrived." He bowed slightly and gestured to Tetsumi, who smiled meekly and lifted a hand to wave at Akashi.

"Thank you, Kenji," Akashi replied as he stood up from his chair. He walked over to Tetsumi and admired her for a moment. " Hanaemi," he said with a smile and turned his body to the square wooden table.

"Sometimes I forget your family is rich," Tetsumi commented as she walked to the table. Akashi laughed lightly and pulled out her chair, and slowly pushed it back in as she sat down. "This place is beautiful."

"And the food is delectable," Akashi assured her as he sat down across from her. He was dressed in black slacks, polished dress shoes, and a light grey button down. She stifled a laugh and shook her head, causing Akashi to raise a brow at her. "What?" he inquired.

"Nothing," Tetsumi said, waving the matter off. Akashi told her to say what was on her mind, so she sighed and looked into his eyes. "You look very handsome." She smiled at him, and Akashi smiled back thanking her quietly with a single nod. Tetsumi glanced around the restaurant, wondering how much longer they'd have small talk before Akashi finally said why he'd called her to dinner.

"Good evening, I'm Hijikata, may I get you something to drink?" a slender middle-aged man asked with a polite smile, looking down at Tetsumi.

"Just water," Tetsumi replied and the man nodded his head. He looked to Akashi, who waved him away. When the man was gone, Tetsumi looked back at Akashi. He stared right back at her and sighed softly. The redhead rested his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together. "Why'd you ask me to dinner, Akashi?" Tetsumi asked, deciding she'd just get the ball rolling so if she got mad she could leave before ordering her food.

"You want to get right to the point," Akashi stated, taking a sip of his water.

"Yes, that way I can leave if I don't like it," Tetsumi explained with a smile, which made Akashi chuckle. "I told you before, I don't have to answer to you. You are my friend though, so I will be more tolerant." Just as she finished speaking, Hijikata came back with her water and asked if they were ready to order. "I don't know, are we?" the blue haired girl asked, looking right into Akashi's eyes.

"Two orders of my usual, Hijikata," Akashi stated simply as he looked up at the man. Their waiter nodded once and excused himself to place the order. The redhead reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out his phone. He flipped the phone open and clicked a few buttons before placing it on the table and sliding it towards her. She raised a brow and turned the phone around, so she could see the screen. "You and Daiki?" Akashi inquired, causing Tetsumi to scowl.

"We were shopping for shoes, what makes you think there was anything more?" Tetsumi asked, snapping the phone close. The image was of Aomine and Tetsumi out at the mall, having some ice cream in the food court. They were laughing and talking, but it was hardly anything to assume they were on a date. Of course, everyone—even Murasakibara—knew that Aomine had feelings for Tetsumi, and she had some for him.

"You and Daiki have always had feelings for each other," Akashi pointed out with a small shrug of his shoulders. Tetsumi looked down at the table and licked her lips. "It shouldn't be a problem, so long as you both can compartmentalize your emotions."

Tetsumi blinked a few times, not sure if she understood what he was saying. It didn't seem like a threat, but at the same time it was Akashi. When he set his mind on something, there was no changing his mind. She had a feeling she knew what this was about. The oath they took, Akashi didn't want their supposed relationship to get in the way of Aomine's playing.

"Unbelievable," Tetsumi grumbled with a roll of her eyes.

"Daiki will not play to his full potential if you get in the way, and the same goes for you," Akashi informed her, causing Tetsumi to glare at him in annoyance. "I already told Daiki that if he hurt you, I would hurt him."

"I always thought, Rima-kun was the weird one, but you might give him a run for his money, Sei-kun," Tetsumi said with a shake of her head as she grabbed her water glass. She took a sip and put it back down on the table, looking back at Akashi. "I can't play to my full potential anymore, and Dai-kun will play as he chooses. You don't get to decide that."

"Until the oath is fulfilled, I do get to decide that," Akashi told her, causing Tetsumi to bite the inside of her cheek. She wanted to throw her glass of water in his face. "So compartmentalize your feelings or wait until after the Winter Cup."

"Why is this so important to you?" Tetsumi asked with narrowed eyes.

"This is important to all of us, don't act like this isn't important to you, Tetsumi." Akashi leaned back in his chair and watched her closely, reading her mannerisms. "Besides, my orders are absolute." He could tell she was angry with his words, but he didn't care. Since their third year, the Generation of Miracles had wanted to see who was the strongest amongst them. When everything started crumbling around them as Tetsumi liked to see it, she too had a point to prove. Facing off at the Winter Cup Tournament would be their chance to prove whose basketball was the best.

"You have a superiority complex, Akashi Seijuro," Tetsumi spat at him as she stood from her seat. "If I want to be with Dai-kun, if I don't want to play basketball anymore, if I don't want to do things your way, then you as my friend should just accept that." With those words, Tetsumi stormed out of the restaurant and Akashi watched her go.

He sighed softly and looked out the window. Tetsumi wasn't afraid of him, which always intrigued him. Even when they had first met she seemed more fascinated by him that intimidated. Perhaps it was because she knew that he would never hurt her. She wasn't just an important piece of the Generation of Miracles; Kuroko Tetsumi was his friend. Unlike the rest of the boys, who Akashi saw as teammates and nothing more, Tetsumi was someone he cared for. It made have been bold to say, but Akashi thought of Tetsumi as family.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Sweat rolled down the side of Tetsumi's face. Her cerulean eyes were locked with Kagami's scarlet ones as they were having a one-on-one match. Three days ago, Akashi had essentially given an order for herself and Aomine to not be involved. It had angered her greatly, nor did she plan to abide by his rules. If Tetsumi wanted to be with Aomine, she would be with him. That went for anyone she wanted a romantic connection with. At the moment though, Tetsumi wasn't really sure about what she wanted. She got out of her own head and looked at Kagami, who was smirking at her. The blue haired girl laughed and tried to get past him, but he blocked her from moving.

The entire Seirin team was watching as Tetsumi dribbled the ball in a defensive position, eyeing Kagami closely. He could see the confidence in her eyes, the passion, and the desire to win. The redhead was getting pretty fired up himself; Tetsumi usually wasn't one to really fight on the court. She was the ghost that slipped around unnoticed, stealing the ball and intercepting passes. When Seirin had the chance to witness her playing offensively, it was rather exciting.

Kagami watched her eyes, trying to read what she was going to do. Tetsumi licked her lips and faked left, but spun to the right. She just barely managed to break passed Kagami before sinking the shot. A bright smile came on her face as she jumped up and down and clapped a few times. The redhead chuckled as he grabbed the ball and rested it on his hip. He shook his head and told her that she was really fast and hard to read. It was true, when Tetsumi played with Teiko she may have started off skittish and clumsy, but she quickly became one of the best players to cut through opponents. She had Aomine and Akashi to thank for that.

"Hey! You guys should rest! Practice ended half an hour ago!" Riko hollered from the bench. "The last thing we need is you two to over work yourself before the game." Seirin had a series of games coming up over the next two and a half weeks. They would be playing to get into the Inter-High, but they weren't worried. The whole team was positive they'd get all the way to the finals. There were going to be six games before the finals came around. Their first game was going to be in two days, and Riko had decided to make the last two days of practice a little lighter so everyone was completely rested up.

The rest of the Seirin team departed a few minutes later, leaving Kagami and Tetsumi alone in the gym. She walked onto the court and laid down at half court. Kagami raised a brow and called out to her, but she didn't respond. He walked over to her and gently kicked her foot with the toe of his shoe. Tetsumi patted the empty spot beside her, and told him to lay down with her. The redhead looked skeptical, but Tetsumi just told him to shut-up and lay down. With a scowl, Kagami sat down beside her and stared up at the ceiling.

"You know what the best part of playing basketball is, Kagami-kun?" Tetsumi asked, turning her head to look at him.

Kagami pursed his lips and continued staring up at the ceiling before saying, "Playing against strong opponents."

Tetsumi chuckled and looked back up at the ceiling. "Well there's that," she said, and Kagami turned to look at her. Tetsumi looked at him and smiled saying, "The opportunity to play, is the best part."

Kagami smirked and nodded his head in agreement. She had a point, if he had never met that boy in America, he never would have had the opportunity to play. "No," Kagami said, and Tetsumi furrowed her brows in confusion. "The opportunity to play with people like you." He smiled at her, and Tetsumi blushed a bit and looked away from him. Kagami may have been rough around the edges sometimes and a little wild, but when he said things like that it always made Tetsumi's heart skip a beat.

"When I was younger, I met someone who taught me how to play basketball," Tetsumi said, and Kagami looked at her as she stared up at the ceiling. "He was really good at basketball, I mean really good. He just loved the game; he loved working hard and getting better. The two of you were a lot alike," she paused for a moment and looked at Kagami, "I knew nothing about basketball, but he taught me everything I needed to know. When middle school rolled around, he moved away. We made a promise to each other to meet again on the court. We said we would play together again as opponents."

"What happened to him?" Kagami asked, assuming the person she was speaking off wasn't one of the Generation of Miracles.

"He gave up," Tetsumi said, and Kagami sat up not expecting to hear that answer. The blue haired teen looked at Kagami, who stared down at her. She sat up herself and pulled her knees into her chest. "Teiko played his team in my third year of middle school, and they completely humiliated his entire team. They were crushed and…well he gave up after that."

Kagami was silent for a moment and looked down at the wooden floor of the court. He couldn't imagine ever quitting basketball, even if his opponent crushed him. Some people though didn't know how to rise after such a crushing defeat. "How bad was it?" he asked curiously. "I couldn't imagine quitting after losing, even if it was…" he trailed off and rubbed the back of his neck.

"The boys were monsters in that game," Tetsumi admitted. "I was ashamed of being on the Teiko team, and that's when I stopped going to games and showing up for practices. Not that it made much of a difference, none of them aside for Rima-kun went to practice. They became so cold and distant like machines, and they didn't care. I guess they still don't though."

Kagami leaned back on his elbows and stared up at the ceiling. "It's not about them or any other opponent he may have faced," the redhead stated, causing Tetsumi to raise a brow with intrigue. "They didn't tell him to give up, he did that all by himself. Don't blame your former teammates for that. I'll admit, I don't think it's right for them to humiliate other player just cause they are talented. But your friend gave up, and honestly when you quit…that's the end, there's no getting better."

Tetsumi stared at him.

"You didn't give up," Kagami said, gesturing to her leg that was secured in a black brace. Tetsumi looked at her leg and nodded slowly. "You thought about it, but you didn't quit. No one cares if you get knocked down, what people want to see is if you'll get up even when you can't. That, Munchkin, is true victory." He smiled at her and reached for her ponytail, tugging on it in an affectionate manner. Tetsumi giggled and shook her head.

"Come on, I want a vanilla shake," Tetsumi said as she stood up from the ground. She dusted off her shorts and turned around to look down at Kagami. "Don't you want some burgers?" she asked with a raised brow.

"The friend who quit," Kagami started as he stood up. "What was his name?"

"Ogiwara Shigehiro," Tetsumi answered.


	18. AMAZING

**Author's Note: **Hello loves! Thank you all so much for commenting on the previous chapter. And I'm excited to post this chapter as a new character is finally making his appearance. Also a very big thank you to **Wicken25** for your lovely review! You guys are the best, please enjoy this chapter and share your thoughts!

* * *

**AMAZING**

Riko bit the top of her pen as she watched the screen of her laptop. She sighed and shook her head. No matter how many times she watched the recording of Shutoku's ace, it never ceased to amaze her. No matter where he stood on the court, his shots always made it. It was partially amazing and partially unbelievable. Even the most seasons players couldn't make 100 percent of their shots. Midorima Shintaro was a monster. He may not have been an aggressive player like Kise, in fact Midorima stayed out of the action for the most part. It didn't matter though, he wracked up points like it was no one's business.

"I don't know whether I should be impressed or scared," Riko commented with a chuckle as she paused the recording of Shutoku's latest game. The brunette licked her lips and turned her attention to the young man lying in the hospital bed. "What do you think?" she asked him, placing her pen behind her ear. Riko crossed one leg over the other and sat quietly in the chair beside the young man's bed.

He was tall, his feet were nearly hanging off the bed. His eyes were a dark chocolate color, but were very warm and kind. Thick brows framed his eyes, long brown hair framed his handsome face that was adorned with a charming smile that mimicked the Cheshire cat's. His name was Kiyoshi Teppei, an original member of the Seirin Basketball Club. Unfortunately, after tragic events the previous year, Kiyoshi had to take nearly a year off due to an injury of his knee.

"Both," Kiyoshi replied with a small smile, looking at Riko. "The team has their work cut out for them. Shutoku will be quite the challenge, but I'm not worried."

"If we make it to them," Riko added in, causing Kiyoshi to furrow his brows in confusion. The young woman sighed softly and clicked on a different recording. She pressed play and showed Kiyoshi a play done by Seiho, which was a school that rivaled Shutoku in skill and ability. "We'll have to get through Seiho first," Riko explained, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Our match with them is this coming Saturday, that's five days to practice and hope."

"Easy there, ye of little faith," Kiyoshi teased with a chuckle. "You're a great coach, and from what I've heard and from what you've shown me...Seirin has become an amazing team. I'm proud of you, Riko." He smiled warmly at her, and Riko stifled a laugh as she closed her laptop and shoved it back into her school bag. She put it down on the ground and leaned forward slightly, eyeing Kiyoshi curiously.

"How are things going for you?" she asked him.

"Good as can be expected," Kiyoshi replied as he laid back against his pillow. He stared out the window by his bedside, watching the evening sun sinking lower and lower behind the skyscrapers of Tokyo. "Three more weeks and I'll be cleared, it's pretty exciting," he said with a small laugh.

Riko and Kiyoshi were close friends. It might have started out that way between the two, but that's what it became. At first, Riko refused Kiyoshi's attempts to have her coach the Seirin Basketball Club when it first started last year. They were all just first year students, the school didn't have a team until Kiyoshi stuck it in Izuki and Koganei's heads. Riko didn't want to have any part of it, especially when she found out that Hyuga Junpei was involved albeit reluctantly.

Hyuga had given up on basketball at the time, claiming to hate the sport. Riko knew that was a lie, she had only watched him training his entire middle school career at her father's gym. Despite the clutch shooters skills, it wasn't enough to carry the whole team. Hyuga lost his desire to play after losing every single game he played in middle school. Riko hated quitters, and she hated it even more when she saw players who had talent and worked so hard, but threw it all away. Kiyoshi was the one who convinced her that he could get Hyuga to come around.

Surprisingly enough, Kiyoshi had managed to do it. Riko couldn't refuse the offer then, she saw that fire in Hyuga's eyes again. They weren't a great team, but they had a lot of heart. In Riko's opinion, heart could carry a team to victory. Unfortunately, when Kiyoshi was wrongfully and purposefully injured during a game, their hopes of winning the Winter Cup vanished. The team in a sense lost it's ace player, and couldn't seem to pull it together. They vowed to return the following year, and with any hope or luck, Kiyoshi Teppei, the one who brought them all together would be with them.

"We need you," Riko said after taking a small trip down memory lane. She stood up and walked over to the window. "We're good, but we'll be better with you," Riko stated with a smile as she looked back to Kiyoshi. He stared back at her and nodded once as she went to open the window.

"Your new duo seems to have everything under control," Kiyoshi said, referring to Tetsumi and Kagami, who had led Seirin to victory in their last four games. Each game had gone off without a hitch, and many people were starting to talk about Seirin now, revering them as a worthwhile team. "How is Kuroko-san doing?"

Riko had come to see Kiyoshi several times a week to tell him about the games and discuss plays with him. She hadn't told anyone about it, not even Hyuga. Her stories about the team always seemed to make Kiyoshi happy. He spent a lot of his time in physical therapy and didn't really have anyone to talk too, so Riko didn't mind visiting him at all. Kiyoshi had never asked her to come, and even told her she didn't have to come. Of course, Riko said that was nonsense and that she enjoyed telling him about the team and their new all star players.

"She's becoming confident again," Riko said as she walked back over to his bed. She sat down on the edge of it and sighed softly. "When we first started, she was cautious and rarely wanted to take a shot. Now, eight weeks later, she's really shown what she's made of."

"That's good," Kiyoshi assured Riko, who nodded as well. "She and Kagami sound like an impressive team, we're lucky to have them."

"We really are," Riko agreed, looking into Kiyoshi's eyes. "Kagami has really improved too, I think it's because of Tetsumi-san. They look out for each other on the court, it's a symbiotic relationship."

Kiyoshi chuckled a bit. "Basketball is a team sport," he pointed out, "it's not a one-man show...although some play like that. Eventually they come across a team that plays an amazing game, and because they are so wrapped up in how great they are...they'll lose."

"Well let's hope that's how it is for Seiho and Shutoku," Riko joked as she scooted off the bed and stretched her arms above her head. "I'll keep you posted," she assured him as she walked around to the other side to get her things.

"Yeah, I'll see you soon...hopefully not in this hospital," Kiyoshi said rubbing the back of his neck. "Be careful going home, okay."

"Always," Riko replied, giving him a thumbs up before making her way to the door. "Rest up, Teppei. And enjoy it, because I'm gonna make you wish you were dead." She smiled innocently at him, and Kiyoshi laughed nervously as he left the room.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Tetsumi dribbled the ball around the court. Kagami watched her closely as she moved carefully. In the past few games and practices, Kagami had started to become attuned with her dribble and passes and steals. Her ability to move around the court unnoticed was truly a gift. She could steal the ball from someone like they were handing it to her. It was easy to see how she was a sixth man for the Generation of Miracles. He was curious of her full potential. He could tell from time to time, Tetsumi wouldn't go full throttle. She held back often and would pass frequently. Kagami wasn't sure if it was lack of confidence or fear that was restricting her.

With ease, Tetsumi passed the ball between her legs and broke past Kagami. His eyes followed her as she passed him. Her movements had become more fluid lately, her agility had greatly improved. Kagami could see her confidence growing, but she was still holding back. There was a slight hint of fear in her movements when she did fancy spins and fade-aways. He had a feeling it wasn't pain that was stopping her, but fear of pain coming back. In the last four games, Tetsumi had managed to play three full periods like it was nothing. He knew she had it in her to go a whole game.

Tetsumi went for a layup, but Kagami defended. The ball just barely missed and bounced off the rim. When she landed on the ground, Tetsumi cursed and huffed as she turned around and looked at the redhead. He chuckled softly and wiped the sweat from his brow. She rolled her blue eyes and told him she wanted to take a five minute break. Kagami couldn't agree with her more. They had been going on a one-on-one match for the past twenty minutes not stopping even for a second.

Tetsumi walked over to the old bleachers of the outdoor basketball court. She sat down on the bench and pulled a water bottle out of her bag. Kagami sat down beside her and dug around in his own bag for a towel and some water. As the two hydrated themselves and took a breather, they sat silently. The court they were on were the ones closest to her place. As it turned out Kagami lived about twenty minutes away, so he offered to come to her rather than going to Seirin. Riko had given everyone the morning off, but they would be meeting later in the evening to have a few practice matches and watch a few of Shutoku and Seiho's recorded games.

"You've really improved lately," Kagami said after several moments of silence went between them. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence though, it was a pleasant one. He just couldn't hold in the fact that Tetsumi was really starting to come out of her shell. "Your speed and agility is very similar to the street ball players in America."

"Really?" Tetsumi asked with a giggle. "Niji-kun and Dai-kun were the ones who inspired me to adopt the style I have." She took a swig of her water and let out a refreshed breath.

"Your movements are very fluid, and because your so small you weave through people much easier than someone my size," Kagami said, gesturing to his large stature. Many people would say height was the most important part of basketball, which was in some respects true. Of course, your point guards and small forwards were usually shorter than the other players so they could rip through a team like it was nothing. "My question is, why don't you play the same in an actual game?" he inquired before taking another sip of his water.

Tetsumi licked her lips, feeling Kagami's scarlet eyes on her. She didn't look at him, she just stared down at the porous basketball at her feet. In a way, Tetsumi wasn't even sure how to answer that question. There was a part of her that still lacked confidence in her abilities since she had to stop playing for a year. Another small part of her was afraid that she would get hurt again, sometimes Tetsumi's heart would race so fast during a game she thought it would explode. Of course, she kept her composure and didn't let her team know that. If Kagami was picking up on it though, obviously her cover was blown.

"Lack of confidence, fear, and hesitation to go full throttle," Tetsumi explained with a small shrug. "I can still hear and feel the snap of my bone every time I enter the court, and it terrifies me."

Kagami frowned and looked away from Tetsumi. "Breaking your leg again or the results of?"

"Both," Tetsumi answered, meeting Kagami's eyes. He nodded his head slowly and understood that it was quite the hurdle to overcome. It wasn't like she just sprained or twisted her ankle. She broke her leg and torn her ACL, she had to go through intense physical therapy, and she watched her team grow apart from her. It wasn't just physically and mentally challenging, but also emotionally. Breaking her leg didn't just change her basketball lifestyle, it changed her social lifestyle as well.

"It won't happen again," Kagami assured her, but Tetsumi only snickered. "It was just bad timing before, and as for your team...well, I don't think Seirin would leave you even if you told them too." He turned to look at her and smiled weakly.

"Thank you, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi said genuinely before standing up. "Come on, first one to ten points." She picked up the basketball and dribbled it into the center of the court. The redhead nodded once and stood up, following her out.

"Loser buys lunch," Kagami declared as Tetsumi passed him the ball. He waited for her to agree before passing the ball back. She smiled slyly and agreed to his offer. Kagami smiled back at her and passed the ball back to her.

"I guess I'll show one of my signature moves," Tetsumi said as she dribbled the ball between her legs and faked left, but broke to the right. Kagami swiped at the ball. He missed as Tetsumi instinctively crossed the ball over to her other hand. She came to a halt as she took a shot, which formed in the shape of a tear drop before falling through the net with ease. "I have five signature talents when it comes to my style: teardrops, stealing, misdirection, speed and agility, and my tornado spin."

"The tornado spin," Kagami said when Tetsumi passed him the ball. "That's what you used on me the first time we played."

"Yeah, but it wasn't at it's full potential," Tetsumi explained to him as Kagami started dribbling the ball, preparing to go for a dunk.

"Not at full potential, huh?" Kagami laughed as he broke past Tetsumi and dunked the ball into the hoop. When he landed back on the ground, he turned around and looked at Tetsumi. "Well I'd like to see that move at full potential. You weren't a high scorer on your team were you?" he asked her as he passed her the ball to begin the next bout.

"No, but you don't have to be a high scorer to be an important player on the team," Tetsumi explained as she dribbled the ball, staring up at Kagami. He was standing behind her as she tried to push him back. His hand was lightly placed on her waist as she dribbled the ball and pushed him back. Finally Kagami, took two steps back and Tetsumi turned, taking a bank shot. It went in through the net and she smiled happily. "Sometimes, you need someone to get the ball to you. High scorers aren't higher scorers without players like myself to move and steal the ball."

"Oh, I'm not doubting you...much," Kagami said with a smirk, trying to get a rise out of her. Tetsumi scoffed and waved the matter off as she started moving the ball a little faster. The way she moved the ball and maneuvered it around her body was like a work of art. Her handling was very confident, but Kagami wanted to see her confident in all areas. If they planned on taking on Seiho and Shutoku, Tetsumi needed to bring her A game.

"It takes a team to win the game," she explained as she slammed the ball down on the ground, causing it to shoot up and over Kagami. He had no idea what she was doing and missed as the ball arced over him. When he tried to jump for it, Tetsumi had already grabbed it again and banked the ball in again. "Even the star players need help sometimes, even if they won't admit it out loud." Tetsumi picked up the basketball and passed it to Kagami.

"That move," Kagami said as he dribbled the ball, doing a few crossovers. "It was nice," he admitted with a laugh, and Tetsumi chuckled.

"Thank you, that was a play that Mu-kun and I created," Tetsumi explained with a triumphant smile. "He was Teiko's center."

"So let me guess, you'd bounce the ball as you did a second ago and he'd swipe it before the opponent knew what happened and then he'd dunk it in," Kagami assumed as he did a fade away shot. Tetsumi tried to stop him, but Kagami had succeeded in making the shot. When the ball hit the ground, Tetsumi caught it and held it out to Kagami. He took the ball and checked it back into the blue haired girl.

"Yeah, we have two version's of it," Tetsumi explained as she dribbled the ball, stepping right then left, trying to throw Kagami off his game. He followed her cautiously, watching as she crossed the ball over a few times. "Over the head, and between the legs," she said as she passed the ball between her legs. Kagami watched the ball as Tetsumi easily pushed it to the ground. She took the ball, looked to the rim as though she was about to shoot. Kagami out of instinct went to jump, but Tetsumi pulled back and bounced the ball underneath him. The redhead cursed as Tetsumi ran past him and easily put the ball through the net.

"We should try that in a game," Kagami said, and Tetsumi chuckled lightly. "I'm serious, those moves are unpredictable...you're unpredictable."

"Am I?" Tetsumi asked as she did a bounce pass to Kagami. He caught the ball and nodded his head. "It's a good thing, isn't it?" she inquired with a tilt of her head.

"Yeah," Kagami replied with a nod. "It's a good thing."

* * *

-###-

* * *

Tetsumi was on her way home after a five hour shift at work. Before she even got into work, Riko had a three hour practice held that morning. In would be a lie if Tetsumi said she didn't want to just lay on the bench and fall asleep. Thankfully, Riko didn't have a practice schedule for tomorrow, and told everyone to enjoy the day off. Her stomach growled, and she looked at the time. It was half past five meaning it was about time to get some dinner. She wasn't far from her mother restaurant, so she decided to go there. Tetsumi hadn't actually gone there in several months, mostly because it was filled with so many memories. Every Saturday after practice, Tetsumi and the Generation of Miracles went to eat at her mother's restaurant. They joked around, laughed a lot, and created so many memories. To Tetsumi it was all so bittersweet.

At the end of the street, Tetsumi could already see her mother's place. She sighed and made her way down the street, watching various people passing by. A few people were couples, walking hand in hand and flirting. Tetsumi slowed her pace when she saw a couple kiss in front of her. She looked away and sighed softly as she slipped around them. When she glanced back over her shoulder, the young man kissed the girl's forehead and they continued on their way. Tetsumi pressed her lips together in a tight line, remembering Aomine kissing her on the rooftop two weeks ago. Neither one of them had spoken about it, but it plagued her thoughts frequently.

Tetsumi wondered what that kiss had meant. She wasn't really his type, he was always gabbing about how he liked girls with big boobs. Not that her boobs were small or anything, but they were modest compared to what Aomine seemed to like. The way his lips felt on hers though had her heartbeat racing. Electric shocks had went through every fiber of her being. For so long, Tetsumi had wondered what it would feel like. It had far surpassed her expectations. She figured it would have been rough and hard, but instead it was soft and tender.

The word amazing didn't even seem to cover how that kiss made her feel. Tetsumi stopped walking as she stood in front of her mother's restaurant. When she looked at the front entrance, she had flashes of memories. Kise and Aomine bickering like an old married couple by the front entrance, Murasakibara stuffing his face with sweets, Midorima shaking his head and scolding everyone for acting like idiots, and Akashi standing quietly beside them. Tetsumi closed her eyes and the memories faded away.

"Tetsumi-chan!" Kaoru exclaimed when she saw her daughter walk in through the front door. "I didn't expect to see you here." Her mother walked over to her daughter and pulled her into a big hug. "How was practice? Work?" her mother asked as she ushered her into the building.

"It was fine, I just came for some food," Tetsumi explained as her mother sat her down at a table.

"Seems you two think alike," Kaoru said, causing her daughter to raise a brow in confusion. Her mother nodded behind Tetsumi, and the teenager turned around. "Aomine-kun! Look who's here!" Kaoru shouted before the tall, dark, and handsome teen could leave with his food. He stopped and looked over at Kaoru, who was pointing at Tetsumi.

"Shorty," Aomine breathed when he saw the pretty girl sitting at the table across the way. He licked his lips and made his way over to the two women. "How are you?" he asked, placing his food on the table.

"I'll prepare your favorite, Tetsumi-chan," Kaoru said happily before flitting away and leaving the two teens alone.

There was nothing, but silence between them. Aside from the chatter of the other guest and the clinking of silverware, Tetsumi and Aomine were both quiet. The two looked at each other, searching for the right words to say to each other.

"I saw..." both of them said at the same time, and laughed lightly. "You first," Aomine said, gesturing for her to continue as he took a seat across from her.

"Right," Tetsumi said and let out a breath. "I saw Akashi, he isn't too happy about...this," she gestured between the two of them and licked her lips before saying, "which brings me to the question: what is this?" Her eyes stared into Aomine's, searching for any kind of answer that he wouldn't dare say. She knew him like the back of her own hand. The friendship they had, the bond that they built, she couldn't just forget it.

"I don't..." Aomine began and stopped himself. "I'm not sure." He shrugged his shoulders and gave her an apologetic look. Tetsumi furrowed her brows. Based on his expression and the tone of his voice, Tetsumi would assume it was a lie. Or perhaps he just didn't want to admit the truth. After all, when you admitted how you really felt it made it real.

"Is that Akashi talking or you?" Tetsumi asked, assuming that Aomine didn't want to cross Akashi. Even though none of the Generation of Miracles were on the same team, Akashi managed to keep a hold on each of them. Tetsumi seemed to be the only one willing to defy him. "What do you want, Aomine?"

"Why are you playing this like I'm the only one in this equation?" Aomine asked with narrowed eyes. "What about you, Tetsu?"

She looked away from him.

"I may have initiated the kiss," Aomine paused for a moment and stood up from the table, "But you kissed me too. I mean you practically—"

"Practically what?" Tetsumi asked, sounding sad when she let those words slip out of her mouth. When he looked at her cerulean eyes, he could see both sadness and disappointment. Aomine sighed and grabbed his food from the table.

"Never mind," Aomine muttered. "I'm sorry, Shorty." He quietly left and Tetsumi bit her lip.

She shot up from her chair, causing it to scrap against the tile floor. The shrill sound had gained everyone's attention. Aomine stopped walking and turned around right when Tetsumi whipped around.

"This isn't about Akashi or basketball. This is about you, so what do you want Daiki?" Tetsumi asked harshly.

Aomine stared into her eyes, but never answered her question. He turned around and walked away, leaving Tetsumi standing in the middle of the dining area completely disappointed and heartbroken.


	19. DEFENSE

**Author's Note: **Hello, hello! I was able to get another chapter written up seeing as I have the day off. Unfortunately I have finals the next two days...ugh...so I won't be able to get any writing done. Anyways, I want to thank you all so much for the comments on the last chapter, and I am in complete agreement with you all...Aomine is an idiot for not saying anything. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, please share your thoughts. Also I know some of you have already said, but who are you wanting Tetsumi to become romantically involved with Kagami or Aomine...or someone else? Let me know in a comment, thanks for reading! Oh and are there any other pairings you'd guys like to see (Midorima and Takao? Kise and Kasamatsu?) I'm open for anything!

* * *

**DEFENSE**

Tetsumi panted as she dribbled the ball around herself, weaving through some cones she'd placed on the ground. She'd been practicing for the past hour and a half without stopping once. Midorima watched her closely and shook his head. He could tell something was off about her, and he had a feeling it wasn't the double game they'd potentially be playing the next day. Takao stood beside him quietly, watching with intrigue as Midorima assessed the situation. They had arrived half an hour ago, and Takao still didn't understand why his teammate cared so much. The whole week, Takao had spent trying to convince Midorima to watch DVDs of Seiho with him, but he'd refused. Eventually, Takao just assumed it was because Midorima didn't think they'd have to take on Seiho.

"Shin-chan, go talk to her," Takao said, nudging the green haired shooter with his elbow. "That's why we came here right?" the black haired teen inquired, looking up at his friend.

Midorima snorted and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "We did not come here to talk to her," he replied, but Takao only rolled his storm colored eyes. "Let's just go." When he started walking away, Takao frowned and decided to take matters into his own hands. He walked around the door and called out to Tetsumi, causing Midorima to freeze mid-step.

"Takao!" he barked, but it was too late.

Tetsumi stopped what she was doing for a few moments and looked at them. She wiped the sweat from her brow and went back to running her drill. Takao raised a brow and glanced at Midorima, who huffed and picked up a basketball. He dribbled it a few times and watched Tetsumi's movements. She was incredibly distracted, not with basketball, but with everything else around her. He'd only seen her get like this twice, and both times the only way he could get her to stop was to beat her at basketball.

"Shin-chan?" Takao wondered as Midorima walked past him.

"You couldn't just walk away could you?" he asked, the Shutoku point guard.

"Not after you dragged me across the city to come see her," Takao grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You came willingly if you recall," Midorima stated simply as he looked back to Tetsumi. She was about to take a shot, but he was going to have to disappoint her. He raised his arms with ease and gently pushed the ball forward with his fingers. As he ball spun towards the hoop, Tetsumi's had as well. Just before Tetsumi's ball was about to go in, Midorima's hit hers and knocked it out of the way.

Takao watched as Tetsumi's ball fell to the ground, and Midorima's spun around the rim before falling in. His eyes drifted over to Tetsumi, who placed her hands on her hips and looked up towards the ceiling. Sweat dripped from her face and coated her arms and legs. Even he could tell the girl had been practicing way too hard, especially when they had a game tomorrow at noon then possibly another in the evening against Shutoku. He watched as Tetsumi let her arms fall to her sides and she looked at both Midorima and himself. Takao's eyes widened slightly as he realized how lifeless, Tetsumi's eyes appeared.

"Not today, Rima-kun," the blue haired girl said softly.

"Yes today, because I'm not playing you like this tomorrow," Midorima stated firmly, surprising Takao. He would have assumed the tsundere to just agree to it and walk away, or give some sort of Yoda spiel. Takao hadn't known Midorima for very long, but he knew that this was very out of character for him. He wondered what it was about that girl that made Midorima seem like such a different person. "My shots go in you tell me what's wrong." Midorima picked up a basketball and held it out to her with one hand.

Takao scooted off of the court and watched curiously.

"Don't waste your time," Tetsumi said as she walked towards him and took the ball.

"I'm not," Midorima told her. "If I'm going to play you tomorrow, I want you at your best."

Tetsumi turned and took a shot, sinking it in perfectly. When the ball bounced on the floor, she turned back to Midorima and smiled weakly. "I'm fine." She walked over to the bench where her belongings were, and Midorima shook his head.

"You're going against him tomorrow, you know that right," Midorima said, and Tetsumi stood with her back to him. She grabbed her water bottle and took a quick sip. "Seiho had a strong defense to start with, but now they'll be even better." He watched Tetsumi, but she stood like a statue before him. Nothing he said was going to get a rise out of her, which made him believe a certain blue-haired ace had done something incredibly stupid. The worst part was he couldn't tell if Tetsumi was sad or angry, it might have been a mix of both.

"I'll see you two on the court," Tetsumi said simply as she gathered her things and left the Seirin gym without another word. The squeaking of the doors echoed in their ears, followed by the loud slap of them closing.

"I don't really know the girl, but she didn't seem like herself at all," Takao stated as he looked back to his friend. "She seemed…mad? Maybe even sad?"

"Disappointed," Midorima chimed in as he stared at the double doors Tetsumi had just walked through. "She is disappointed." He walked over to the basketballs that were resting below the net. He picked them up one by one and passed them to Takao, who placed them in the metal basket.

"About Seiho?" Takao guessed as he closed the basket and pushed it off of the court. Midorima shook his head as they left the building. "Then what?"

"I don't know," Midorima said.

"Did her horoscope say that she was having a bad day?" Takao asked, partly joking.

"Bad week," Midorima corrected, and Takao stopped in his tracks. He didn't really believe in all that horoscope stuff, but sometimes it was always right. Midorima never had a truly bad day; his shots always went in. On the days that his horoscope was good though he made twice as many shots. There were even times that Midorima would tell Takao about his own horoscope. The point guard would laugh it off most of the time, saying Midorima was being silly. Unfortunately, if he had a bad reading like Midorima said, his game wasn't very good. He could only imagine what Tetsumi must have been feeling like if her horoscope predicted a bad week.

"Just as well," Takao said with a small shrug. "I guess we'll be going against Seiho, the best defense in Tokyo."

"So it would seem," Midorima replied softly, slightly disappointed to know he wouldn't be able to go against Tetsumi and her new shadow, Kagami Taiga.

"Well don't sound so disappointed, Shin-chan," Takao teased as he climbed onto the bicycle.

"You aren't going to argue about riding instead of pulling?" the green haired teen asked with a raised brow, causing Takao to chuckle a bit and wave it off.

"We both know you'll win, so I'll just save us both the trouble," Takao smiled and nodded for Midorima to get in. With a small smile, Midorima nodded to Takao and sat down in the rickshaw, pulling out his cellphone.

**To:** Momoi Satsuki

**From:** Midorima Shintaro

** Message:** What did he do?

Midorima closed his phone after he sent the message and slipped it into his pocket. Tetsumi and Aomine were complementary of one another. Back in their Teiko days, Aomine and Tetsumi were nearly inseparable on or off the court. Nijimura and Akashi often got onto them for it, saying their emotions would get in the way of the game. Midorima agreed with them of course, if something happened to Tetsumi, Aomine tended to get very angry and vise-versa. Granted, Tetsumi was normally the one who ended up in bad situations.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out. When he read the message, Midorima quickly closed it and slipped it back into his pocket. According to Momoi, she didn't know and Aomine was being rather tight-lipped about it. Midorima sighed softly and shook his head; he didn't know why he cared so much. If Tetsumi played like crap, he should be grateful about it. Of course, he didn't want someone to play a pathetic game. Midorima wanted Tetsumi to be at her best, to prove he really was better than her.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Momoi looked at the time. Seirin's game against Seiho was going to be started in one hour. She sighed as she stood in front of Aomine's home before knocking on the door. After a few moments passed and no one answered, Momoi knocked again and patiently waited. She had a good feeling Aomine was simply ignoring her. The night before and first thing this morning she had messaged him several times, saying they were going to watch the game. He didn't respond though, so Momoi figured she'd just drag his sorry butt to it.

"Aomine-kun!" Momoi shouted as she stomped her foot on the ground. "Stop being so stubborn!" she hollered before knocking again. Momoi was met with nothing aside from silence, which really ticked her off. With her fist clenched at her sides, Momoi guessed she was going to have to resort to drastic measures.

She walked around the house to the back yard; thankfully the gate had been unlocked. Aomine had a tree house in the back where he kept half of his favorite magazines. Momoi decided to give him one more chance by calling out his name, telling him he'd regret it if he didn't come outside. After a few seconds, Momoi rolled her pink eyes and climbed up into the tree house. She pushed the hatch open and crawled inside, seeing everything where it'd had always been. Her eyes drifted over to the three storage bins tucked neatly against the wall.

"Drastic times call for drastic measures, Dai-chan!" Momoi chirped as she opened up one of the boxes. "What!" the pinkette whined when she saw the box was empty. She hurriedly opened the other two and found both of them were empty too. Momoi groaned and looked out the small square window to Aomine's house.

"You really think I'm that stupid?" Aomine's voice sounded from down below. Momoi blinked a few times and crawled over to the hatch of the tree house. Standing down below with his hands shoved into the pockets of ripped up jeans was Aomine. He shook his head and snickered. "I learned the first time around, Satsuki."

"Well since you're out now," Momoi smiled as she climbed out of the tree house.

"Nice panties," Aomine said as he looked up at her.

"Dai-chan!" Momoi squealed, using one hand to press her skirt against her body. The dark skinned player only chuckled and turned his back to her. She climbed the rest of the way down, and huffed. "Are you coming with me?" she asked hopefully as she came up beside him.

"No," Aomine told her with a shake of his head, causing Momoi to scowl.

"Dai-chan!" Momoi yipped, causing Aomine to roll his steel blue eyes in annoyance. He knew he shouldn't have bothered coming out, but maybe he was hoping that Momoi could give him a reason to go. Ever since he and Tetsumi had their little moment in her mom's restaurant, he had distanced himself. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"I'm not going, Satsuki, so leave," he told her simply and waved her off like it was nothing, which tended to really infuriate the girl. Aomine started walking back to his house, but Momoi ran in front of him. He stopped and stared down at the girl as she glared up at him. "You'll be late if you keep trying." Aomine went to move around her, but Momoi blocked his way again.

"You can't keep getting mad at her, Dai-chan!" Momoi snapped at him.

"Stop calling me that," Aomine grumbled as he walked around her, but she grabbed hold of his arm, stopping him again. His eye twitched and he looked at her hand that held to the bend of his arm. Forcefully, Aomine yanked himself free from her hold and shook his head. "And for the last time, leave."

"I will not!" Momoi declared fiercely. "You both are so damn stubborn, but you even more so."

Aomine shook his head. He had heard enough of this nonsense. What he wanted or what he did was really no one's business. The ace player would admit that he had made a mistake by not saying anything to Tetsumi earlier that week. Unfortunately, it was just the way things happened and nothing would change that. Aomine could wish and wish to go back and time and tell Tetsumi that he cared about her, but that was impossible. For those short moments that evening, Aomine picked basketball. As much as he hated to admit Akashi was right, he was right. Aomine wouldn't be able to be at his best if he faced off against Tetsumi.

"She's your friend!" Momoi snapped and Aomine looked down at her. "Akashi-kun is right about a lot of things, Aomine-kun. But he isn't about this." The pinkette shook her head and pressed her lips together in a firm line, hoping Aomine would listen to her.

"I'm not going, Satsuki," Aomine affirmed as he walked up the back porch steps.

"You don't have to talk to her, you just have to support her," Momoi said to him as he pushed the door open. "Even though you may be rivals now, she was your friend first."

"Not a good enough reason, Satsuki," Aomine replied with a halfhearted shrug before stepping into his house.

"They're going against Seiho!" Momoi shouted, and Aomine rolled his eyes. He already knew that, she'd told him four times in her messages to him. "The best defense in the Tokyo circuit."

"Your point is?" Aomine asked as he turned around, his hand still on the door to shut it the moment she answered. The pink haired girl flattened her mint green skirt and walked up the stone steps of the porch. "Well?" he prompted, slouching slightly were he stood.

"There's someone on Seiho from the past," Momoi explained, gaining Aomine's interest. He let his hand fall from the door and crossed his arms over his chest. Momoi sighed inwardly, seeing that he was finally pay attention. "Tsugawa Tomoki."

"Who?" Aomine asked, not recalling the name. Momoi let her head fall between her shoulders and chuckled.

"You don't remember him, really?" she asked with a raised brow when she looked at her childhood friend, who shrugged his shoulders like it was no big deal. "His defense stopped Kise back in Teiko, but not only that he kept flirting with Tetsumi."

"That bald freak!" Aomine gasped.

"I knew you'd remember," Momoi said with a bright smile. "So are you coming or not?"

Aomine stared at Momoi for a moment. She already knew that she had won, but he didn't want to give her the satisfaction by just simply caving in. He assumed to make her wait for a minute or two. Momoi stared up at him expectantly and sighed in annoyance. Aomine stepped back outside and slid the door closed. The pinkette nodded and skipped back to the front, and Aomine followed after her.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Kagami stared at Tetsumi as she sat on the bench, tying her shoelaces. The whole morning she had been unusually quiet, it was making him worry a bit. Tetsumi was normally soft spoken, but she didn't even give her usual words of encouragement at the morning run through. Riko had even mentioned it before they left for breakfast together, but Tetsumi had assured them she was fine. The redhead didn't believe it for a second, but it appeared most of the members on Seirin didn't. He didn't want to pry, but Tetsumi seemed to be on autopilot. She was like a zombie, and Kagami didn't like it one bit.

He watched her as she stood up and did a few stretches with her headphones in. Kagami looked at Hyuga as he walked up beside him, holding a basketball in his hands. He sighed softly and pushed his glasses up a bit. The captain wasn't one to really worry too much, but Kagami could see that Hyuga was worried about Tetsumi. No one could tell what was going on with her and she'd been like this for most of the week. Kagami looked at Hyuga and said he'd go talk to her. The captain nodded once and went back to warming up as Kagami went to talk with Tetsumi.

"What's wrong?" Kagami asked, getting straight to the point. They didn't have time to beat around the bush; their game against Seiho was in fifteen minutes. "And don't say nothing, cause everyone on the team can tell your not your normal self." He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at Tetsumi.

She pulled off her headphones and tossed them to her bag. "Well it is nothing," Tetsumi said, causing Kagami to scowl and shake his head. "I'll be fine, just worry about yourself."

"Munchkin," Kagami said firmly, and she rolled her eyes not wanting to deal with it. She would get over things in her own way; she didn't need everyone and their mother to know she was disappointed and hurt about that idiot Aomine. "Look at me," Kagami said softly, and Tetsumi closed her eyes before turning to him.

"What?" Tetsumi grumbled when she met his eyes. His scarlet eyes were on her, so full of concern that it made her feel uneasy. The last time someone looked at her like that was when she got injured. It wasn't a look of pity or sadness, but a look of worry and concern. A look that said you-aren't-alone-in-this and that brought comfort to her. Aomine used to look at her like that—hell all of the boys did—she even managed to get Haizaki to look at her like that before. She didn't understand why people cared about her so much, but looking at Kagami now it made her disappointment and hurt seem to fade away.

"I don't know what happened, and if you don't want to tell me you don't have to," Kagami said and rubbed the back of his neck. "But please, don't isolate yourself. We need you, and I…well, none of us want to see you this way." He smiled at her and held his fist out to her, which made Tetsumi giggle.

She was impressed. Kagami wasn't normally one for words, but in that moment he said the right things. He made her feel important in those few moments, he reminded her that they needed everyone to play and win. The Generation of Miracles weren't like that, and Tetsumi had almost forgotten what it was like to be needed. When Aomine hadn't said anything, it reminded her that he didn't need her anymore. It reminded her that Akashi was the one who made all the rules, but then she met Kagami. He was a lose canon and rough around the edges, but he loved basketball and valued his teammates (most of the time).

Tetsumi felt a little bit better knowing that Kagami and the rest of the team were concerned about her. She bit her lip, and Kagami looked a bit hesitant as he stood before her. Her pretty blue eyes gazed up at him, and she pushed away all her negative emotions. Kagami was right, her team needed her to be there and she needed them as well. They wouldn't be able to stop the defense of Seiho if they didn't have each other. Her eyes drifted back to Kagami's fist and she smiled.

"Thank you," she said as she bumped her fist with his. Kagami nodded and kneeled down bouncing a ball into his hand. He nodded out to the court, and Tetsumi smiled as she walked out to the court, holding her hands up. Kagami passed the ball to her and she started to warm up.

"What did you say to her?" Riko asked as she came up beside Kagami.

"I told her the truth," he replied, looking to Riko. The coach raised a brow, and Kagami smirked when he looked back to Tetsumi. "I told her we need her." Riko chuckled a bit and shook her head, causing Kagami to give her a confused look.

"Sorry," Riko said with a small sigh. "Usually, Tetsumi's the one calming you down. You two have become quite the pair." The brunette smirked at Kagami, who blushed slightly and wandered off before Riko said anything more embarrassing.

From across the way, Midorima had watched Kagami talk to Tetsumi. Somehow he seemed to have managed waking her up, snapping her from her emotional distress. While he wished that it hadn't been Kagami to do it, he was relieved to know Tetsumi was perking up.

"Looks like he talked some sense into her, huh? Shin-chan," Takao said as he slid up beside Midorima, who only snorted. He pushed his glasses up and turned on the balls of his feet, scoring an effortless three pointer. "Uh-oh," Takao said, and Midorima looked at the point guard, who was looking across the way. His green eyes followed Takao's line of view until he saw Tetsumi was talking with the bald shooting guard of Seiho, Tsugawa Tomoki.

The bald teen seemed to be flirting with Tetsumi, who seemed a bit annoyed by the whole thing. Of course, Tetsumi was a rather patient person, she learned how to be when dealing with Aomine and Akashi. Tsugawa was close to her, closer than he needed to be, he was looking at her boobs and even touched her hair. He pulled it gently in front of her shoulder and smirked at her.

"Are you the teams manager?" Tsugawa asked with a grin.

"Must be a pain to be a girl in a bunch of hormone driven…Shin-chan?" Takao chirped when he noticed the green haired teen was no longer beside him. When he looked back over to Tsugawa and Tetsumi, Takao's mouth fell open when he grabbed hold of the bald guy's head as if it were a basketball. "Oh shit," the point guard laughed as he jogged over before Midorima managed to get himself benched for the entire day.

"Did you not learn your lesson the first time, baldy?" Midorima asked harshly as he pulled Tsugawa back and away from Tetsumi.

"Rima-kun," Tetsumi sighed with a shake of her head.

"Sorry, sorry," Tsugawa said as he slipped away from Midorima, who was glaring at him. As he backed away, he bumped into someone and jumped seeing Kagami staring down at him. He backed up and bumped into someone again. His eyes widened as he whipped around and saw Takao, staring up at him. "Geez, you have quite the security, beautiful," Tsugawa chuckled.

"Please don't call me that," Tetsumi told him simply. "We're here to play basketball that is all."

"Well then at least go on a date with me when I mop the floor with your team," Tsugawa boasted confidently, causing Kagami to growl a bit and reach for him. His grip was rough on the collar of Tsugawa's shirt, causing the bald teen to yelp. "Well come on now, your team is weak. How could you possibly hope to beat us? To make it better, go on two dates with me if I beat Shutoku as well."

"You got a big mouth, you little shit," Kagami seethed, lifting Tsugawa off of the ground.

"Kagami-kun," Tetsumi sighed. "Put him down before you get us kicked out."

The redhead was reluctant to do so, but he knew Tetsumi was right. He dropped Tsugawa, and he stumbled back. Takao sidestepped and allowed the bald first year from Seiho fall on his behind.

"Don't flirt with my teammate," Kagami commanded, pointing at Tsugawa. "Or I'll kick your ass into next week."

Midorima looked at Kagami with intrigue, he was very much like Aomine had been when they first met Tsugawa Tomoki back in middle school. He had taken quite the liking to Tetsumi and flirted with her shamelessly. At the end of the match, he had Tetsumi up against a wall. His hands were locking her in. She wasn't one to be a damsel in distress, but before she could do anything Aomine got a hold of him. He threatened Tsugawa rather violently saying if he ever touched Tetsumi again he'd kick his ass. Midorima had no doubt that Aomine would do it either; of course all of them had been rather enraged to see Tsugawa all over Tetsumi.

"Stop it, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi scolded, reaching up and grabbing him by his ear. "We'll settle this on the court, Tsugawa-kun." She yanked Kagami down and he yelped in pain, begging for Tetsumi to not pull so hard.

"You're right then we can have some real fun on our date," Tsugawa grinned as he stood up.

Midorima couldn't let that one slide. He grabbed the basketball Takao was holding and bounced it off of the bald guy's head. Tsugawa wailed in pain and Midorima smirked as he caught the ball when it bounced back.

"Rima-kun!" Tetsumi barked, but the green haired shooter ignored her while Takao laughed. It was completely amusing to see Midorima act in such a way. Takao couldn't get enough of it.

"He deserved it, Tetsumi-chan," Midorima defended as he pushed his glass up his nose.

Tetsumi finally let go of Kagami's ear and crossed her arms over her chest. "For the record, I can protect myself. So both of you stop it now," Tetsumi commanded the two, whom she realized had never officially met. "Kagami-kun this is Midorima Shintaro, the Generation of Miracles number one shooter."

The redhead had rubbed his ear, which had got red and hot in a hurry from Tetsumi having yanked on it. He looked at Midorima, who stared right back at him stoically. Takao walked over to Tetsumi and looped his arm around her shoulders, much to Kagami and Midorima's annoyance.

"Don't lose to the baldy now," Takao said to Tetsumi with a friendly smile. "This guy over here has been wanting to play you guys since he watched your practice match with Kaijo."

"Takao!" Midorima scolded, but the point guard ignored him.

"Dually noted," Tetsumi said back to Takao with a smile on her face. The Shutoku point guard smirked and removed his arm from around her shoulder. He walked over to Midorima and winked at him as he walked back to his bench. "You've made a good friend, Rima-kun."

"We're not friends," Midorima grumbled as he turned on his heels.

"It's okay to have friends, Rima-kun. Especially ones you can count on," Tetsumi said, but Midorima did not turn around or say anything. The green haired shooter had a small smile on his face, but it quickly faded when he walked back to his teammates.

"So about that date," Tsugawa chimed as he approached Tetsumi again.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Tsugawa-kun," Tetsumi began, causing the bald teen to raise a brow in confusion. "But I will not lose, I have a score to settle with some old friends and in order to do that I must defeat your team. We will not lose."

Kagami smirked at Tetsumi's words and looked at Tsugawa, who seemed very confused at the moment. "Wait you're a player?"

"I guess Dai-kun hit you pretty hard if you don't remember playing me before," Tetsumi commented, and Tsugawa furrowed his brows. "My name is Kuroko Tetsumi, don't forget it this time." She smiled at him and turned around to continue warming up with her teammates, while Tsugawa seemed both surprised and confused.

"Now, I'm really pumped," Kagami said when he caught up to Tetsumi. "Midorima is the best shooter, huh? We'll just see about that."

"Don't get cocky now, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi chided with a wave of her finger. "Rima-kun is an impressive player."

"All the more reason to be pumped," Kagami said with a confident smile.


	20. SEIHO

**Author's Note: **Hey people! I want to thank everyone for all their comments on the last chapter and the good luck's given for my finals. Lucky for me, I found one of my professors yesterday after I got out of one of my finals and he said if I wanted too he'd like me take mine with the class he was going too. Obviously I said yes, which means I don't have an exam today! Thus equaling to this next chapter, yay! I apologize for any and all typos you may come across in this chapter. Also, I have another question for you guys, do you guys feel like Tetsumi is a reasonable character as in, she isn't too strong or anything right? I really don't want her to come off that way. And one more question, do you guys feel like I'm copying the anime version? I'm following the same timeline, but I don't want things to be very identical, a few things yes, but anyways, please share your thoughts! You all rock, enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

**SEIHO**

Kise scrolled through the horoscopes on his phone. He didn't particularly believe in all that horoscope nonsense, but whenever Midorima had a good one; he was usually unstoppable. His ear buds were tucked into his ears as he walked casually down the sidewalk. Kasamatsu was beside him, staring straight ahead and glanced at Kise when he started making noises of worry. The dark haired Kaijo captain stopped walking for a moment and looked up at the handsome blond.

Kise stopped walking when he noticed his captain was staring at him oddly. The blond pulled out one of his ear buds and nodded questioningly to his captain. Kasamatsu peered at Kise's phone and noticed he was listening and looking at Oha Asa. With a raised brow, Kasamatsu looked at the sixteen-year-old and snickered. The blond shrugged his shoulders and smiled at his captain.

"I don't really believe in this, but Midorimacchi does," Kise explained as he hit the play button on Cancer's horoscope for the day. "Maybe it's just a freak coincidence, but whenever this thing says he's going to have a good day…he's damn near unstoppable." The blond looked back down at the phone as the woman's voice announced it would be a great day for Cancer's especially if they carried around their lucky item: Shigaraki Raccoon.

Kasamatsu nodded and pursed his lips. "Well what's his sign?"

"Cancer and Tetsucchi is an Aquarius!" Kise exclaimed excitedly, but Kasamatsu merely rolled his eyes. Whenever the blond got a chance to talk about that girl, he did. Kasamatsu wouldn't be surprised if Kise had a shrine in his bedroom to honor her. Although, Kasamatsu didn't think that Kise was in love with the girl even though he seemed pretty smitten. It appeared more that Kise truly admired the girl, which Kasamatsu could respect. After having played Tetsumi and her team, Kasamatsu realized no matter how small an opponent they could pack a powerful punch. To some degree it seemed to wake the Kaijo team up. Ever since their loss to Seirin—regardless that it was a practice match—the whole team had really stepped up their game.

"You seem to really like her," Kasamatsu commented as he began walking again. Kise looked up from his phone and blinked a few times as he captain went on his way. When he caught up to his captain he bumped him with his shoulder and laughed. "What?"

"I like playing with you guys," Kise assured his captain, clapping him on the shoulder. When he looked ahead he could see the large modernized stadium the tournament was being held in. "Tetsucchi was a really good friend of mine, but I wouldn't leave you guys. I've learned a lot from you and all the other Senpais." Kise lifted his hand from his captain shoulder and jogged up the steps.

Kasamatsu stood down below for a moment and shook his head. That blond was something else, but he had to admit, he was growing attached to him. When he first got onto the team, Kasamatsu was irritated by his arrogance. Of course, Kise couldn't really help himself—being treated like a God by essentially everyone. He was very defiant in the beginning, but over time he mellowed out.

When Kise reached the top of the stairway, he gasped. His captain gave him an odd look as he walked up the steps with his hands shoved in the pockets of his beige pants. "What's wrong?" Kasamatsu inquired with a raised brow.

Kise turned to his friend and frowned, looking a bit worried. "It's terrible," the blond sighed with a shake of his head. Kasamatsu blinked a few times, assuming that Midorima was having a bad day according to Oha Asa. "Tetsucchi is going to have a bad day!" Kise whined sadly with a pouty lip.

Kasamatsu nearly fell over. His blond teammates obsession with Tetsumi was becoming incredibly annoying. She was a pretty girl, she was good at basketball, and seemed friendly enough. It made sense for Kise to like her, but it still drove Kasamatsu insane.

"You're ridiculous," Kasamatsu scolded as he playfully grabbed the back of Kise's head and shoved him forward. The blond stumbled a few times and complained that his captain was far too abusive. "Quit being such a baby, we're already late."

"Wait, I want to get a drink first!" Kise chirped as he ran to catch up with his senior, who sighed in annoyance.

"We're going to miss the tip-off," Kasamatsu grumbled.

"Eh? You seem mighty interested in seeing the game, Kasamatsu-senpai," Kise teased as he peered down at him, cackling like a crazed hyena. "I didn't think you cared, since I had to beg you to come." The blond nudged Kasamatsu's side, seeming to ignore that Kasamatsu's patience for the blond was running wafer thin.

"Go get your damn drink, Kise!" Kasamatsu scolded, taking a swipe at the blond. The young of the two yelped as he did a side jump, barely dodging his senior's punch. With a bit of nervous laughter, Kise scurried over to the concession stands to buy himself a drink. Kasamatsu shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "I swear it's like babysitting a child," he huffed as he leaned back against the wall.

"Dai-chan!" a pink haired girl exclaimed front the front entrance. Kasamatsu looked over at her as she ran outside for a moment and came back in shoving a tall dark skinned guy in through the door. "Come on! We're already late! Faster!" Kasamatsu sympathized with the girl, knowing exactly how it felt to keep someone moving. Of course, Kise was always moving just usually in all directions except the one he needed to be going in.

"Stop calling me that, Satsuki, people are going to talk," the man grumbled as he continued at his calm pace while the girl pushed him forward with all her might. Kasamatsu almost found it comical.

"I'll stop calling you that if you hurry it up!" the pinkette snapped.

Kasamatsu noticed that the girl was very petite almost like Tetsumi, aside from the fact this girl had abnormally large breast. He blushed and quickly looked away, knowing better than to objectify a woman in such a way.

"We're already here, relax," the guy scolded her as they walked pass Kasamatsu.

"The tip-off is the most important part!" Satsuki declared with a grunt as she finally got the guy to the stairs leading up to the first level seating that viewed the courts.

"Actually, the end is the most important part," the guy stated simply, causing the girl to groan in frustration. Kasamatsu chuckled lightly and shook his head; the guy had a point. The flow of the game could be changed multiple times. With two evenly matched teams that kept up with each other, the ending minutes would determine everything.

"Why do you have to be so difficult, Aomine-kun!" the girl sighed.

Kasamatsu furrowed his brows. He'd heard that name before. Pushing off the wall, Kasamatsu turned around and watched as the two walked up the stairs. Someone had told him that name before, and when Kasamatsu looked at him again he realized he was a basketball player. The colors were black and red: Tōō Academy.

"See I was quick as a bunny, let's go," Kise said as he walked up to Kasamatsu, who was still thinking about the name. "Senpai?" Kise waved his hand in front of his captain's face, causing him to snap out of his thoughts.

"You ready now? We're already half way through the first period," Kasamatsu said as they started walking up the stairs.

"Don't worry, I'm sure they're doing fine," Kise laughed when they got to the top. The blond instantly regretted his words and his mouth fell open. He wasn't expecting to see such an outrageous display on the scoreboard. "Or maybe not," Kise said with a frown.

"Seirin has zero points?" Kasamatsu gaped in disbelief. He knew Seiho was a tough team, they weren't named one of the Kings of Tokyo for nothing, but a seventeen-point gap was ridiculous. "Only three minutes left, this is not a very good start."

"Pathetic is what it is," Aomine Daiki stated, gaining the two's attention. When they both turned to him, he shook his head with his eyes locked on the court below them. "Says a lot about your team, Kise."

"Aominecchi!" Kise exclaimed in surprise. He didn't expect to see him at the game, but then again Seirin would be going against Shutoku if they could get past Seiho. Momoi poked her head from around Aomine and greeted Kise with a smile and wave. "Momoicchi too! Well that explains why you're here," the blond chuckled as he looked at Aomine, who only snorted in response.

"You seriously lost to this?" Aomine asked as he shook his head. "And here I thought Tetsu's team would be one to watch."

"Watch it now, Aominecchi," Kise chided with a small glare. "Just because Tetsucchi found a new light doesn't mean you can talk shit about my team." Aomine looked at Kise and smirked, shrugging his shoulders as a response.

Kasamatsu remained silent, but smiled a bit after hearing Kise defend Kaijo. He didn't understand what Kise meant by 'light', but he decided not to ask either. It had all come back to him now how he had heard the name Aomine. He was an old teammate of Kise's just like Tetsumi and this Midorima she was too be facing. Kasamatsu licked his lips and shook his head; surprised that Seirin was so far behind. It was doubtful that they would be facing Shutoku later in the evening.

"Don't count them out yet, Aomine-kun," Momoi intervened as she leaned on the railing. "Tetsumi is always good at making comebacks."

"Seiho's team is strong defensively, which is effectively hurting Seirin's signature run-and-gun style," Kasamatsu said as he watched the game carefully. Seiho was using man-to-man defense and trying to slip by them was near impossible. Regardless of how strong a team was without being able to penetrate Seiho's defensive any play style would be rendered useless. "Not only that, but Tetsumi-san's impressive passing ability is rendered useless since no one can break free. Seirin has an uphill battle."

"This defensive play should tire them out though, surely they can't play like this the whole time," Kise stated as he watched Tetsumi dribbling the ball at the top of the arc. She was looking for someone to pass too, but everyone on her team was being blocked.

"Just shoot the ball, Shorty," Aomine sighed as he leaned on the railing and ran his fingers through his hair. "She could make that shot if she just went for it."

"Her leg must be bothering her, so she's afraid to jump," Momoi explained softly, and all three men looked at her. "Midorin told me last night that she was training really hard, harder than she should have been."

"Why?" Kise asked worriedly. "She knows better than to over train before a game."

"It's good question," Momoi said as she looked to Aomine, who only shook his head. Kise raised a brow and Momoi gestured to Aomine with her eyes. The blond rolled his eyes and looked back onto the court as Izuki tried to go in for a lay-up, but was blocked by Seiho's captain Iwamura.

"What are they doing?" Kise grumbled with disappointment.

"I thought the same thing at first, but Seirin is a slow starter." Kasamatsu commented.

"They aren't even at the starting line, yet," Aomine added in and walked over to some empty seats. The other three followed him and sat down, watching as the game progressed onwards.

"Charging! White 10!" The referee hollered after blowing on his whistle. Kise slapped a hand on his face and shook his head, while Kasamatsu merely sighed. They both knew Kagami was a bit of a hothead, but they weren't expecting him to react so quickly to taunting words.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Kagami gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath as he leered at Seiho's team. The way they defended and moved about the court was different from most. He couldn't break through them, no one could pass, and he was already getting tired. There was only a minute left in the first period, and still they hadn't scored a single point. Kagami shook his head as he gripped the ball tightly in his hands. All he had managed to do was get fouled—twice—by that bald braggart. Kagami would give the runt credit though; he sure knew how to piss him off.

The redhead sighed as he handed the ball over to the referee and watched as Seiho got prepared to take the ball back in. They couldn't let them get this shot they had to stop them from widening the gap. As it was they already had a long road ahead of them just to catch up. Kagami wiped the sweat from his brow and licked his lips. He took in a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"Kagami-kun," Tetsumi said as she walked up beside him. He looked at her and she smiled weakly before looking back at Seiho. "Please block their shot."

"Already planning on it, Munchkin," Kagami assured her with a single nod.

"Oh and Kagami-kun," Tetsumi said before he could run off to get into position.

"What?" he asked.

"That's your second foul," she deadpanned, causing Kagami to deflate. He waved the matter off and jogged off while Tetsumi hung back a bit, scoping out where everyone was positioned. Her eyes flicked over to the clock, they had fifty-six seconds left to play. Seiho was playing a ridiculously strong defense, but their offense seemed just a little above average. Not only did they successfully lock everyone down, but also they didn't appear to be very tired at all.

Tetsumi observed her teammates, noticing they were already sweating. Seiho was making them work hard to break free from their defense. As if they weren't having trouble enough breaking their defense they still had thirty minutes of game play left. By the second half of the game her teammates would be running on fumes. Tetsumi bit her lip as she watched Seiho bring the ball in, she watched their movements as they made their way to their basket. The captain of Seiho, Iwamura went to dunk the ball, but Kagami slammed it down with an impressive force. Tetsumi's eyes widened in surprise as she witness Kagami's impressive explosive jumping power. When the ball hit the ground, Hyuga grabbed it and passed it her way.

The moment the ball landed in her hand, Tetsumi spun around and made her way back to their basket. She could hear her team from the bench, hollering for her to make the shot. Her adrenaline was pumping as she approached the hoop. Right when she crossed the three-point line, Tetsumi slowed down to make a shot. Just as she went into a shooting position, she stopped when Tsugawa jumped in front of her. Tetsumi narrowed her eyes and started dribbling the ball.

"Not today, we gotta go on a date," Tsugawa smirked.

Tetsumi rolled her eyes and quickly stuck her foot out to the left and spun around, breaking past Tsugawa and going in for a lay-up. When the ball fell into the net, Tetsumi sighed in relief and looked back at Tsugawa.

"Not today," Tetsumi commented as she walked passed him.

"It's still a fifteen point gap," Tsugawa said to her. "Wear something sexy when we go on our date, okay?"

Iwamura appeared beside the bald teen and popped him on the back of the head. "That is no way to talk to a lady, idiot!" the huge burly third year growled at Tsugawa, who whined in pain. Tetsumi blinked a few times and smiled weakly, thanking Iwamura. "He can't help himself, he just says things without thinking."

"It's alright," Tetsumi assured him, waving the matter off. "We won't lose because of his loose lips."

"You'll lose because you're weak," Seiho's captain declared, hitting a nerve within Tetsumi. She hated when cocky basketball players thought they were the best things ever. Seiho had an impressive defense, but defense was only part of the game. "However, I accept your challenge."

"What makes your style so impressive is the techniques you use," Tetsumi said, placing her hands on her hips. She just wanted to make sure that he realized whom he was dealing with. Tetsumi may not have been as good as she could have been, but her mental strength was stronger than ever. Seiho used old martial art moves in their ways of moving, which lessened the strain on the body. Every move was calculated, so no energy was wasted. "One of which is namba running, which is probably the most effective technique you are using at your disposal."

"You have quite the eye little girl," Iwamura stated with a chuckle as he looked back over his shoulder at her. "And you're obviously good at passing through defense."

"Every style has a weakness," Tetsumi said to him with a small shrug. "You can't fly or disappear no better than I can break through Tsugawa-kun's defense."

Iwamura stared at Tetsumi for a moment before smirking and walking away without another word. He had to give the girl some credit she had a lot of spunk. He assumed that she had to be something special if she was playing among a team of boys, but so far she seemed pretty average to him. There was still plenty of game left though, meaning she had plenty of time to change his mind.

"Nice shot," Kagami said as Tetsumi walked over to him.

"I'm going to steal the ball, be ready," Tetsumi informed Kagami as she tightened up her ponytail. The redhead watched as she put some space between them, keeping her eyes on Seiho's playmaker: Kasuga Ryuhei.

The Seiho point guard dribbled the ball carefully as Hyuga marked him. Kagami spotted Tetsumi being guarded by Tsugawa, who was closer than he needed to be in Kagami's personal opinion. Tetsumi didn't seem to think twice about Tsugawa though; her eyes were watching Kasuga's movements. Right when Hyuga and Kasuga were past them, Tetsumi whipped around Tsugawa's defenses and caught him off guard. Kasuga was about to go for a shot, but Tetsumi successfully knocked the ball towards Kagami.

"Go! Go!" Tetsumi commanded the moment Kagami had the ball in his hands. The redhead nodded and darted down the court, leaped into the air, and slammed the ball into the basket. Kagami hung onto the orange hoop for a moment before landing heavily on the ground just as the buzzer rang.

The Seirin bench cheered with excitement as Kagami walked over to Tetsumi. She looked up at Kagami and smirked, nodding her head proudly. The redhead chuckled a bit and looked over to the three seniors as they talked to one another before heading over to the bench for the small break before the second period began.

"We're going to win," Kagami said to Tetsumi.

"Of course we are," she replied with a smile and looked over to Tsugawa. He was staring at her slightly in shock. She blew him a kiss and made her way over to the bench with Kagami by her side.

"That's the first time I've seen anyone get past you," Kasuga commented as he jogged up to Tsugawa, who was still staring at Tetsumi.

"The fun and the pain is just getting started," Tsugawa replied with a smile.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Aomine slouched in his chair, appearing to be very bored. On the inside though, he was praising Tetsumi for finally getting with it. If she planned on making it all the way she couldn't just idly stand by. He didn't know what she was saying to Seiho's captain or to the redhead—her new shadow—but whatever she had said it seemed to have tipped the scales a bit. They only had four points under their belt, but they had shut Seiho down twice in less than a minute. He glanced at their bench and watched as the coach of Seirin explained some things to them.

"They're benching Midorimacchi already?" Kise mumbled as he watched the green haired shooter walk off of the court. "Taking it pretty easy, aren't they."

"Why wouldn't they? They're playing a middle tier school, there's no reason to waste their valuable player's strength when they potentially have to go against Seiho or Seirin," Kasamatsu pointed out as he leaned back in his chair, watching as Shutoku easily dominated their opponents with a twenty-point gap. "There shouldn't be any surprises for them, and if there are going to be any surprises it'll be with Seirin and Seiho." The captain nodded towards the other court and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Seiho is a strong team, there defense is far better than their offense, however it's not like that is very weak either. They're incorporation of martial arts is giving them an upper hand," Momoi said as she looked over each of Seiho's players. The second bout was about to begin and all the players were making their way back onto the court. She looked to Tetsumi and shook her head. "If Tetsumi-chan plans on helping her team win, she's going to need to step out of her comfort zone."

"She will," Kise assured her, gaining the pinkette's attention. "She knows what winning means, and it's too important for her to just hand over."

"Seiho isn't like the Generation of Miracles," Kasamatsu spoke up. The three sitting beside him all looked at him. He glanced at them and shrugged his shoulder half-heartedly. "You guys are high scorers, complete naturals, but Seiho are the opposite. They play a different type of game, and they are experts at it."

"Who is this guy, Kise?" Aomine asked, a little annoyed by him.

"My captain, Kasamatsu-senpai," Kise said happily. "Careful Aominecchi, he's mean," Kise whispered, only to be popped on the back of the head by Kasamatsu. The blond whined and grabbed his head ducking done while Kasamatsu glared at him. "See!" Kise cried, pointing to his captain, who merely snorted.

Aomine chuckled. "If he can keep you in line, so that works for me."

Kasamatsu smirked and nodded his head. "You can have him back if you'd like," the dark haired teen said to Aomine, who waved the matter off. Kise interjected with how they were mean and cruel, but neither seemed to care.

"They're starting again," Momoi said as she leaned forward and grabbed the rail in front of her. She bit he lip as she watched Seirin take control of the ball. Her eyes watched closely, examining every move they made. From what she could tell Seirin had already used a good amount of energy, but Seiho was still close to full power. "Seirin is too tired for it only being the second round." Momoi looked worried, she knew Shutoku was playing two games as well, but Midorima was already benched. If Tetsumi and her team kept going at this rate, they'd lose simply because they were exhausted.

"Looks like Kagami is finally getting with it," Kasamatsu commented when Tetsumi managed to get the ball to him.

Kagami and Tetsumi broke through Tsugawa's defense, but were stopped by Iwamura. The redhead skidded to a stop and dribbled the ball, while Tetsumi ran around him. Iwamura glanced at her for a second, giving Kagami the chance to pass to Hyuga. Seirin's captain was standing in the corner pocket behind the three-point line and caught the ball with ease. Before Seiho had the chance to get to him, Hyuga took the shot and landed it perfectly.

"Well," Aomine said as he got comfortable in his seat. "They might just survive this."

"They better, otherwise I'll be insulted," Kasamatsu muttered under his breath.

"You mean you aren't already?" Aomine asked, earning a glare for the Kaijo captain.

"There's the Tetsucchi we know," Kise beamed when he saw Tetsumi steal the ball from Kasuga, who seemed utterly shocked. The Seiho players instantly surrounded the blue haired teen just before she could pass the ball. Her cerulean eyes scanned the area for an opening, but Tsugawa and Kasuga had her locked down.

"What are you gonna do, Tetsu?" Aomine asked quietly as his eyes fixated on the girl. "Shake them off," he murmured, hoping Tetsumi wouldn't back down and lose the ball.

Tetsumi didn't skip a beat. She did an under the legs crossover, causing Kasuga to move to the outside. The blue haired teen smirked, planting down hard on her inside foot as she raised her chest as if she was hesitating on where to go. Kasuga followed her movement, but Tetsumi switched the ball back to her other hand, throwing Kasuga's direction off. When she broke around him, Tetsumi passed the ball to Kagami and he dunked it in with ease.

"That brings back some memories," Kise said, glancing to Aomine. The ace player didn't react to the blond's words, but inside he was in complete agreement with him.

"She's faster than she was at our practice match," Kasamatsu noted with intrigue. "But you're saying she can be faster?"

"Not so much faster, but more confident in her movements. Tetsumi used to rip through the defensive players like it was nothing," Kise explained with a small shrug. "After her injury though, she slowed down and was very hesitant to do her tornado spin, not to mention she won't make her shots anymore either unless she has no choice." The blond shook his head, knowing that if Tetsumi would just trust in herself she would be one of the most valuable players on the team.

"It's not all Tetsu's fault," Aomine added in with a shake of his head. "Her light is weak."

Kasamatsu raised a brow and glanced at Aomine. He didn't understand what he meant by light, but that was the second time the three had mentioned it. When his eyes went back to the court, Seirin was once again in possession of the ball. Izuki passed the ball to Tetsumi. She caught the ball and went forward towards the hoop, but Kasuga got in front of her. The girl quickly pulled back, and moved the ball behind her back. Tetsumi straightened out, opening her chest towards the floor. Kasamatsu's eyes widened as he watched Tetsumi spin around Kasuga for her next dribble. She ran towards the hoop and preformed a lay-up with ease.

"Time out! Seiho!" The referee shouted after the ball fell through the net.


	21. SENIORS

**Author's Note: **Hi everyone! I sincerely apologize for the wait, I had zero time to write over the weekend with my cousin's graduation, and Mother's Day. It was so hectic! Hopefully this chapter is worth the wait, because we get to see jealous Aomine, which is always fun. Please share your thoughts in a comment, I'd really appreciate the feedback. Also I would like to give a shout out to **SoulxHunter**, you have commented on every chapter up to this point and I truly appreciate it, so thank you so much! Until next everyone!

* * *

**SENIORS**

The ball was tossed around as if it were on fire. Tetsumi followed it with her eyes as each Seiho team member brought it around. Hyuga shouted for Mitobe to keep them from the basket. He managed to do just that, however the player passed the ball to Tsugawa. Tetsumi cursed when Tsugawa got into position to shoot, but the moment he did Kagami hit the ball. The blue haired girl closed her eyes when she heard the referee call an offensive foul on Kagami.

When she opened her eyes, she looked over at Kagami. He was sweating heavily and shook his head in disappointment. She made her way over to him and elbowed him in the ribs. Kagami moved aside and glared down at her. He told her he knew it was a bad call, but Tetsumi shook her head.

"It's not that, I just don't want you to get a technical foul too," Tetsumi chided, knowing Kagami wasn't exactly one to control his temper. Tsugawa was beaming like a child at Christmas, and was doing nothing short of gloating. It pissed Tetsumi off too, but they had to keep their cool. If things got out of hand the referee had every right to put a technical foul on them. "I know you're angry, but calm down." She smiled at him and patted his arm gently before looking to Tsugawa as he went to make a free throw.

"This is pretty exciting, you know," Tsugawa boasted as he dribbled the ball a few times. Hyuga was standing on his left and Tetsumi on his right. All the players were lined up, ready to make the rebound. "Last year, Seiho was ahead of yours by twenty points. This time around, I'm going to make it thirty too prove just how weak your team really is."

Kagami narrowed his eyes at Tsugawa, wanting nothing more than to punch him. There was nothing wrong with being proud of your team, but to shame another team really irritated him. Tsugawa was a good player, Kagami wouldn't deny that, but he had no right to boast. He wasn't even apart of Seiho the previous year. Seirin wasn't the same team anymore; they had really come a long way. It wasn't like they had paid someone to get in, they fought for it just like everyone else had too. The way Tsugawa was trash talking though, made it seem like Seirin had been handed an opportunity. Kagami shook his head and tried to remain calm, but his blood was boiling.

Tetsumi looked to Hyuga, who seemed both annoyed and distraught by Tsugawa's statement. The way Tsugawa acted and spoke like he was the best damn thing was uncalled for. She could see in Hyuga's eyes that he was genuinely hurt by those words. That look on his face was one she knew all too well. The look of disappointment and hate, a sliver of regret, and a hint of envy all rolled into one. When the Generation of Miracles changed into monsters, disrespecting the sport and their opponents, she wore that look on her face. That horrified look that said you didn't know what to say or do.

"Hyuga-senpai," Tetsumi said, breaking Hyuga's thoughts. "Let's not disappoint him."

Her captain smiled weakly and nodded once in agreement. She smiled back at him and looked to Izuki and Mitobe. The two of them also looked distraught and angry. Before they even came to play the game, Tetsumi remembered all of the seniors speaking of their past game. She could tell by the determination in their voices that this game was personal. They wanted to even the score with Seiho. Tetsumi admired their passion, because she knew what it felt like to hate something you loved. To be crushed so badly and then losing the will to play was hard. Hyuga, Izuki, and Mitobe were stronger than anyone gave them credit for.

This was why Tetsumi loved basketball. She got to meet amazing people. She got to become their friends and opponent. Seirin had given her a reason to believe that basketball wasn't just about winning, or making friends. At the root of it all, basketball to her was about becoming a better person.

"I might just have to disappoint you," Tsugawa said as he took the shot, making it with ease. Kagami caught the ball and walked over to the base line before passing it in to Izuki. "Don't worry, it won't hurt much," the bald teen said as he jogged pass Tetsumi to mark Kagami.

"He's annoying as ever," Tetsumi sighed with an eye roll. She watched as Izuki passed the ball to Hyuga, but before he could take a shot, Iwamura came in front of him. The captain of Seirin passed the ball to Mitobe, who went in for a lay-up. When the ball fell through the hoop, Seiho took possession.

As the players of Seiho moved the ball around quickly, Kagami got in the way. He stood before Tsugawa who was in possession of the ball. The redhead quickly defended, while Tsugawa dribbled the ball out of Kagami's reach. Tetsumi soon realized exactly what Tsugawa was about to do.

"Kagami, don't!" Tetsumi called out, but she was too late.

With one swift movement, Kagami went to reach for the ball his shoulder brushing against Tsugawa. The bald teen took the opportunity and fell back. Tetsumi shook her head, and huffed in annoyance. She wasn't frustrated with Kagami, but more that Tsugawa had flopped. There was a good chance Kagami would have been charged with another foul just for a shoulder bump anyways.

"Four fouls," Hyuga said, wiping his brow. "I guess this works out."

"What?" Tetsumi questioned with a raised brow. "We still have half the game to finish." She turned to see Riko talking with the referee.

"Yeah! I'll be fine, don't take me out!" Kagami pleaded, but the three seniors didn't seem like they were going to let him keep playing. In the background, Riko could be heard asking to make a member change. Kagami frowned and whirled around. "No! Don't please!" the redhead begged, but Riko ignored him entirely.

"This was all part of the plan, granted it's happening a little before schedule," Hyuga explained as he rubbed the back of his neck. "You're both out."

"What?" Tetsumi asked her eyes widening in surprise. "Me too?" she inquired, pointing to herself. The three seniors nodded to her and she blinked a few times. She could understand taking Kagami out with his four fouls, but Tetsumi felt like she could still be of some help. Seiho wasn't exactly going easy on them, but when she looked into her senior's eyes she understood. This wasn't about Kagami or herself it was about the seniors.

"The fact is, we can't beat Midorima without you guys. And I really hate to say that, but it's the truth and really, this game between Seiho…it's personal," Hyuga explained to the two first years with complete honesty. Kagami was about to protest, but Tetsumi grabbed his ear and yanked him down. The redhead yelped in pain and pried her fingers from his ear. He huffed and glared at the blue haired girl beside him, but she kept her eyes on the seniors.

"We understand," Tetsumi said with a single nod.

"No, I don't!" Kagami snapped.

Tetsumi rolled her eyes and elbowed the redhead in the ribs. He whined and placed his hand on the aching area. "Kagami-kun, we have to trust in our seniors. Let's go," she said to him simply with a soft smile. "Kick their asses," Tetsumi told Hyuga, Izuki, and Mitobe. She winked at them and grabbed hold of Kagami's wrist, tugging him along off the court much to his disappointment. "Don't sulk, you're essentially useless anyways," Tetsumi chided, earning a snort from Kagami.

"I would be fine," Kagami mumbled.

"Oh, Kagami-kun, you hothead," Tetsumi giggled and looked straight ahead as Koganei and Tsuchida entered the court with confidence. "Go get them," Tetsumi said as she high-fived the two before she went to the bench.

"Don't lose," Kagami said as he followed in suit.

"We won't," Tsuchida and Koganei declared in unison.

Riko walked back over and sat down beside Kagami. She looked confident, which made Tetsumi feel better. There was a lot of pressure on the seniors at this moment, but their level of determination and confidence was inspiring. She smiled as she watched the match start up again. Seiho had upped the level of their defensive playing, leaving absolutely no gaps. Tetsumi watched closely and could see exactly what Riko was saying. The play style of Seiho was actually quite beautiful to watch. Anyone who played against them would be impressed, despite how frustrating it all was.

Her cerulean eyes drifted to the scoreboard. Seirin stood firm at thirty points while Seiho kept a five point gap between them at thirty-five. That was actually reassuring to Tetsumi. Seiho ran a very tight defense, but Seirin had managed to keep up fairly well. Plus it wasn't like they had the best start, yet they managed to close such a huge gap in the first half of the game. There was only four and a half minutes left in the first half before they'd break for the second. At the moment, Tetsumi could see that the Seirin seniors were holding their own. She smiled weakly when Hyuga landed a three pointer. The rest of the team on the bench, with the exception of Kagami, all cheered on for their team. Tetsumi glanced over at the redhead, who seemed to be pouting.

"Have some faith in our seniors, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi said to him as she leaned forward and gripped the bench on either side of her legs. The redhead snorted, and Tetsumi rolled her eyes. It didn't seem he was pouting because he didn't trust in the seniors, it seemed he was angry that he couldn't play anymore. "They need you and me for the game with Rima-kun, take it as a compliment."

Kagami sulked, and Tetsumi sighed waving the matter off. She would rather watch her seniors play than get Kagami to see what they were trying to do. He understood what Tetsumi meant, and he was happy the seniors needed his help, but he really wanted to beat that Tsugawa guy. The baldy had a big mouth and Kagami really wanted to stuff a basketball down it. His scarlet eyes drifted over to the Shutoku bench where he spotted Midorima and his little sidekick. It appeared that the two had noticed him looking. Midorima glared at him, while Takao only smiled and waved. Kagami grumbled a few words under his breath and looked away in annoyance.

"Hey!" Riko barked, popping Kagami on the back of the head. "You have plenty of time to stare at those two later, focus on this game. The seniors are better than you give them credit for, so stop worrying!" His coach scolded as he rubbed the spot she had struck.

"Mitobe-kun can do hook shots?" Tetsumi asked in surprise as she watched him get into the stance and toss the ball. Riko nodded her head and smiled like a proud mama bear, watching her little cubs fend for themselves. "I had no idea, it's always the quiet ones," Tetsumi sighed and giggled a bit as the game carried on.

"They all bring a little something to the table," Riko admitted, glancing to Tetsumi. "All of them have worked very hard to get to this point."

"You sound so proud," Tetsumi pointed out to her coach with a smile.

"I am," Riko stated with a single nod as she turned her attention back onto the court. "Kasuga-kun isn't the only play maker on the court, after all."

Kagami and Tetsumi looked at Riko, wondering what she meant. The other first years on the bench cheered on the seniors in a chant. It was in that moment that Tetsumi felt like she was apart of a true team. She watched the Generation of Miracles fall apart. It had been an ugly downward spiral starting with Aomine, but was made possible by Akashi. Tetsumi gripped the bench tighter as she remembered how little respect the boys showed to other teams as well as each other. It never sat well with her, knowing that her friends couldn't trust each other on the court. When they stopped hanging out all together, Tetsumi felt crushed.

Tetsumi looked back onto the court and noticed something. She raised a brow with intrigue as Izuki started setting everything up. He managed to break through the defenses, passing the ball around his back and over to Koganei. Tetsumi smirked when Izuki went to the right and cut straight through the defenders. As he did so, two of Seiho's players collided with each other and fell onto the ground. Kagami chuckled, seeming to find the play intriguing as well.

"That was very clever," Tetsumi noted and laughed as Izuki quite literally skipped up to Hyuga after he made a perfect lay-up. Hyuga seemed to be in a much different mind set as he scolded Izuki, who stopped in his tracks and let his head fall between his shoulders.

"Izuki-kun isn't the best athlete on our team, but he can see things better than most," Riko explained as she nodded her head. "He has an eagle eye." She looked to the bench players as they stared at her, wanting to know more.

"Eagle eye?" Kagami repeated with a raised brow.

"It gives him a different vantage point, so to speak," Riko clarified. "While most players can only see what's before them, Izuki-kun can see things in a different way in his own head, giving him a true advantage."

"What about Koganei-senpai and Tsuchida-senpai?" Furihata asked with a bright smile.

"Um, well…" Riko laughed nervously. "I mean, sure." She shrugged her shoulders, making all five players beside her worry a little bit. Unlike her confidence in Hyuga, Mitobe, and Izuki, she seemed a little less confident in Tsuchida and Koganei.

"Your faith in them is ground breaking," Kagami muttered, and Riko scowled. She hit Kagami on the back of the head with her clipboard. "Ouch!" he whined, ducking his head down low to avoid any more strikes.

"Koganei-kun is a jack-of-all trades. He can do a little bit of everything, but he's…only so-so at it," Riko explained, and right on cue Koganei demonstrated exactly what she meant. He took a shot, but it bounced right off the glass. Kagami shook his head while, Tetsumi only laughed lightly. "As for Tsuchida-kun, he is a pretty good rebounder." Just as Riko had explained that, he jumped up for the ball and held it close to his chest. Iwamura was defending against him aggressively, but Tsuchida didn't break under the pressure.

"Nice! Go, Tsuchida-senpai!" the three first years beside Tetsumi cheered. She smiled at them and nodded her head, happy to see such support. It wasn't generic support either; it was the genuine support that really pulled the team together.

Tsuchida held the ball just below his knees as he ripped around. He dribbled the ball once when he pivoted around he jumped towards the baseline. Lifting his arm up, Tsuchida bounced the ball off the glass and into the hoop. The crowds all cheered when he made the shot, and Tetsumi clapped excitedly.

Kagami's leg started bouncing up and down. Tetsumi could tell he was antsy. She placed her hand on his knee and stopped him from bouncing his leg. He glanced at her hand on his knee then raised his gaze to her.

"This is our seniors game," Tetsumi said with a soft smile. "Do your part and cheer them on."

"I know, but…" he trailed off and chuckled lightly. "I really wanna play with them." Tetsumi nodded and agreed with him. The seniors worked so well together, but that was too be expected. They had been playing together for a little over a year. Kagami and Tetsumi were still new to them, so it would only make sense that the seniors worked much better together.

"We'll get our chance," Tetsumi said as she looked across the way, meeting Midorima's eyes. She smiled at him and nodded slightly. The green haired teen nodded back, and Tetsumi turned her attention back to her team.

* * *

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* * *

It was the final quarter of the game. Aomine sat slouched in his chair, completely bored that neither Midorima nor Tetsumi were playing. It wasn't that the other members of their teams weren't good, but they weren't Tetsumi or Midorima. Even at that, Aomine didn't truly care to watch Midorima as much as he wanted to watch Tetsumi. It had been a long time since he'd witnessed her play. He was slightly jealous that Kise had the chance to see her play again, and play her competitively. It might have only been a practice game, but that was still better than just goofing around and playing.

As the final quarter started, Aomine looked at Tetsumi. His eye twitched a little as she and that redhead, Kagami, talked to one another. She was smiling, the way she used to smile at him when they played together back at Teiko. He looked away sadly and tried to ignore it. The seniors of Seirin had surprised him when they kept the game tied all third quarter. It was now time for them to take the lead, and from the looks of it Hyuga and Izuki were doing just that.

Hyuga went for a shot, but it was blocked by Iwamura. The ball started bouncing away to the boundary line in the direction of the Seirin bench. Aomine's head perked up a bit as the one guy, who reminded him of a cat darted after the ball. The Seiho player who was going after it too stopped, realizing he probably wouldn't catch it anyways. Aomine's eyes opened when the cat like boy sprung into the air, reaching out for the basketball. By some sort of miracle the senior managed to cup his hand around the ball and flung it back onto the court and into Izuki's hands.

Aomine sat up straight when he saw Kagami grab hold of Tetsumi and pull her out of the way. The cat-like teen flailed his arms around wildly as he tried to catch his balance. Ultimately, he failed and flipped over to bench. He landed on the ground with a heavy thud with his legs up on the bench, his arms splayed out by his sides, and eyes glazed.

"Well, at least he saved the ball," Kasamatsu commented with a snicker as they watched the coach trying to wake up the teen. It appeared that he was out of commission though, meaning they'd have to put someone else in.

"Maybe they'll put Tetsucchi back in!" Kise bubbled with excitement.

Aomine glanced at Kise and rolled his eyes. Sometimes Kise was only good in small doses. His dark eyes drifted back over to Tetsumi and her team. It appeared they were all talking about what they were going to do. He narrowed his eyes when Kagami started arguing with Tetsumi. When he shifted in his seat, Momoi noticed his irritation and giggled lightly. Aomine ignored her, knowing even if he denied he was jealous Momoi would only make matters worse.

Tetsumi slapped her hand over Kagami's mouth and talked with the coach and captain of the team. The redhead peeled her hand off of his face, but held her hand in his own. Aomine twitched as his jealously and anger continued to build. The redhead was saying something to Tetsumi, but she snapped right back at him. She was always feisty, which is why most of the Teiko team admired her. If Akashi said or did something she didn't agree with, she would call him out on it. Most people feared Akashi, but Tetsumi seemed to like testing her luck.

Kagami had stopped speaking and finally let go of her hand. Aomine licked his lips as Tetsumi patted Kagami's shoulder and nodded to him. It bothered him how she was showing affection, or maybe he was just overreacting. The ace player of Teiko looked down at his lap and wondered if he really had any reason to be acting in such a way. Tetsumi had asked him what he wanted, he could have told her right then and there. What did he do? He walked away like an idiot. A moron. A fool. A numbskull. An ass. There were probably no words to describe just how stupid walking away from her had been. The opportunity to be with her had just sailed away like a ship in the night.

Tetsumi peeled off her white t-shirt and laid it on the bench. She started walking back to the court, but Kagami walked up to her. Her eyes stared back into his as he spoke to her. The blue haired girl lifted her fist up to him and Kagami bumped it with his own. Aomine felt a sharp, searing pain rip through his heart. Tetsumi winked at Kagami and made her way onto the court. Aomine's eyes stayed on Kagami, who was smiling happily and almost like he was developing feelings for Tetsumi. He couldn't let that happen, Tetsumi was his girl.

"If you stare at him any hard, Aomine-kun his head might exploded," Momoi chirped.

"Good," Aomine grumbled as he glared daggers at Kagami, who was completely unaware of how jealous and angry Aomine was. The two had never met, but Aomine had every intention of meeting him after today.

"Looks like Tetsucchi is ready to shake things up," Kise said with a smirk on his lips.

"Her seniors have leveled the playing field, let's see if she can bring them home," Kasamatsu said, hoping that Seirin would beat Seiho.

"She will," Aomine assured him with his eyes locked on Tetsumi as she entered the court with a fire in her eyes.


	22. PROXY

**Author's Note: **Yay! I have another update for you guys because, let's face it y'all are so awesome. Thank you all so much for all the feedback on the last chapter. Also just a heads up after this chapter we'll have two flashback chapters of Tetsumi going through her physical therapy. Then we will get to the Shutoku game, hope you guys enjoy it! Also if there are any Takao and Midorima fans out there, check out my story **Some Kind of Miracle**. Until next time everyone!

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**PROXY**

Tsugawa was one of those basketball numbskulls, who was so focused on making other players angry and frustrated he came off as an arrogant prick. Tetsumi liked to believe every basketball player had their reasons for being such ways, but she didn't assume them to be on purpose. In Tsugawa's case, it was beyond a shadow of the doubt that it was completely on purpose. Of course, he was such an arrogant bastard that he'd probably say it was all an innocent accident. Tetsumi walked towards him on the court, and his eyes light up with excitement.

"Oh so they're putting the girl back on the court, are they?" Tsugawa asked, wiggling his brows at her. He laughed a bit and placed his hands on his hips. "While your cute and all, I'm a little disappointed that it's you. I'd much rather play against Kagami, he gets riled up so easily."

Tetsumi just reminded herself that Tsugawa was ignorant and couldn't help himself. The world needed stupid people like him too right? She pulled her ponytail free and shook her artic locks free. Tsugawa smirked and took a step towards her. Tetsumi wrapped her hair around her hand and put it up in a messy bun. A few strands fell around her face and she rolled her shoulders.

"I guess the world needs some stupid in it too," Tetsumi said out loud, causing Tsugawa to narrow his eyes at her. His smile faded as he saw the fire in her eyes and could feel the pressure radiating off of her. "Kagami-kun has a grudge against you and I'm here to pay it back by proxy," she paused for a moment, locking eyes with Tsugawa, "that flop was a little pathetic, but it was accidently on purpose wasn't it?" she asked the bald teen, who wiped the sweat from his chin with his black and grey jersey.

"Hey!" Tsugawa called to his team, "I'm marking this one." He pointed at Tetsumi, who smirked and nodded her head once.

"What? Why?" one of his teammates asked.

"Cause she has a score to settle with me," Tsugawa replied as he looked back at Tetsumi. "I'd hate to miss out."

"You will anyways," Tetsumi stated firmly. She didn't know what caused her to become angry, possibly the memories of the past. It might have even been Tsugawa's disregard for the upperclassmen's hard work. No matter what the reason, Tetsumi was going to teach Tsugawa a lesson about trash talking when he had no room to do so.

When the players were back on the court, Seirin had the ball in their possession and were on their side of the court. Seiho's defense was still going strong, but there was always a weakness in any defense or offense. All it took was a little studying and observation. For someone like Tetsumi, who had to rely on the reactions and movements of people, she had an inept ability to pick up on people's habits. Of course, Riko and the seniors had helped out quite a bit. Going in, everyone knew Seiho's defense was bar none the best in Tokyo, but that was only because of their play style. Riko and the seniors probably knew just as much about Seiho's style as Seiho did themselves. According to Hyuga, Seirin had spent every day since their defeat against them last year watching different games of Seiho.

For the past year, Seiho had remained consistent in their style. In a sense that was their weakness, but some could hardly call it that. When a team specialized in only one thing, they had habits. It was because of these habits they would falter, because habits weren't easily broken. There wasn't a doubt in Tetsumi's mind that Seiho would be able to correct themselves before the eight minutes of remaining game play were up. Her eyes drifted over to Izuki, who was standing beside the referee holding the ball. When the man blew the whistle, he handed Izuki the ball. Tsugawa got into her view, and she looked up at him as he stared down at her.

"You aren't going to win," Tsugawa said with a smile that was nearly a perfect copy of the Cheshire Cat. "You're seniors can't handle us, what makes you think that you can?" the bald guy asked with a boastful laugh.

"You can't be serious," Tetsumi snickered. "If you haven't noticed my seniors have kept up with you guys every step of the way. Two points is nothing for you to boast about."

"Even if it was one point," Tsugawa retorted with narrowed eyes, stepping closer to Tetsumi. "A win is a win."

"Coming from the guy who said he'd win by thirty points?" Tetsumi challenged as she tried to get around him. He blocked her path and stayed on her. She knew he wouldn't be easy to shake, his defense probably would have even drove Aomine himself crazy. Izuki passed the ball in and Tetsumi watched as Tsuchida got a hold of it and passed it along to Hyuga, who went for a shot. When the ball fell through the net, Tetsumi smiled and looked back at Tsugawa. "Just one more thing," Tetsumi said as she watched the Seiho players taking the ball back to their end of the court.

Tsugawa raced off and captured the ball. He was about to go for a three pointer, but Tetsumi came up behind him and slammed the ball down. The bald teen gasped as the ball fell through his fingers. Mitobe grabbed the ball and tossed it back to Tetsumi. When she caught the ball she ran back up the court and did a lay-up, landing another point.

"Don't disrespect my Senpais," Tetsumi said when her feet landed back on the ground. She whipped around and glared at Tsugawa, who snorted and shook his head.

* * *

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* * *

Aomine nodded his head slightly. He could see the old Tetsumi fighting to shine through, whatever Tsugawa was saying to her was really riling her up. She wasn't one to normally act one someone else's words, but Aomine remembered Tsugawa vividly. He was a loud mouth, who bragged more than any normal person, and was over all annoying. If he would stop with the bragging, he probably wouldn't be so bad. Back in their Teiko days, Tsugawa shamelessly hit on Tetsumi, asking her to go on a date over and over. It wasn't until he asked her to kiss him that Aomine was sent over the edge. Victory was even sweeter when Teiko beat his team by forty-five points.

"Do you think she'll do it?" Kise asked without taking his eyes off of the game. Seiho had managed to tie up the game and there were still four and a half minutes left to go. The blond knew that if Tetsumi really wanted too, she could start shaking up the court. She wasn't an amazing player like the Generation of Miracles, but her speed when completely released matched Aomine's. It had been a long time since she had unleashed that speed though. Even before her injury, Tetsumi only brought that out in dire situations. Akashi made her focus on her passing and only her passing, which never made much sense to him.

Aomine was wondering the same exact thing. She had her brace on and she had been out for half an hour. There was no doubt she had the stamina to do it, but Midorima was here. Aomine's eyes glanced to the green haired sharp shooter, who seemed rather bored on the bench. Even though Midorima was perceptive and a quick to adapt to most situations, Tetsumi probably wouldn't risk showing what she was capable of doing. At the moment, she was a wild card to him. Midorima may have known what she could do in the past, but that was two years ago. Whatever ideas any of them had of Tetsumi, they would have to forget about them and see her as a new threat.

"Unlikely," Aomine finally answered when he looked back to Seirin and Seiho's game. Kise looked at Aomine and pursed his lips before asking Momoi if she thought the same think. The pink haired beauty didn't seem to know herself, which was a little surprising. Momoi knew everything about every basketball player, but Tetsumi had only just started playing basketball six weeks ago. The only game Momoi had even witnessed personally was the practice match with Kaijo. Her data on Tetsumi wasn't exactly trustworthy, but Tetsumi wasn't just some other player. Momoi and Tetsumi were best friends, or had been back in middle school.

"Based on my data, I couldn't say," Momoi explained as she watched Seirin and Seiho keeping each other from scoring. The time on the clock was counting down fast; someone would need to break the balance before it was too late. Neither team could afford to go into over time when they had a second game at six that evening. "Based on knowing Tetsumi, I would say she isn't." Momoi shook her head and brushed a strand of pink hair behind her ear.

"What are you guys talking about?" Kasamatsu asked, feeling very out of the loop.

"Tetsucchi has these moments where she can use an intense burst of speed for a short while. Normally she can do it three times in a game, it resembles the street ball style. Very fluid, very tricky, and very hard to follow," Kise explained to his captain, who nodded slowly as he processed the information. "It's nothing more than a burst of speed, but we tend to call it her Bullet Drive."

"If she's going to use that technique, she'll use it on Midorima," Aomine pointed out just as Seiho took a two-point lead. His eyes went to the clock; forty seconds were left in the game. They were coming down to the wire. "After all, his hang time on his shots makes him arrogant."

"You're one to talk," Kise chided. "Ouch! Aominecchi!" The blond yelped after Aomine popped him on the back of his head. Groaning, Kise muttered a few choice words and looked back down at the court. Seirin had made another shot and once again the game was tied up.

* * *

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* * *

Kagami was thoroughly impressed by Tetsumi. She was without a doubt a wild card, and it made perfect sense how she played with the Generation of Miracles. While she didn't stand out like they did, her passing and moving around the court was beautiful. His eyes followed her every move and pass was like a work of art. Kagami had never seen someone pass so effortlessly before, it was like second nature to Tetsumi.

"Incredible," Kagami gaped as Tetsumi passed the ball around her back and shot it out to Hyuga. He shook his head almost unsure he was seeing things correctly. It was starting to make sense why people were so surprised how the ball moved around defensive players so easily. Tetsumi never drew attention to herself, and she was hardly noticeable to begin with. Kagami's mouth parted slightly when, Tetsumi assisted Hyuga in getting the ball to Mitobe.

"She's pretty amazing right?" Riko asked with a giggle as she watched the last few moments of the game. "She's always like this."

"Really?" Kagami breathed. Even though they had practice together countless times and even though she'd taught him many things, Kagami had never realized how good she was. He never thought she was a bad player by know means, but watching her playing competitively put things into perspective. The redhead smiled proudly and nodded his head as he watched the last thirty seconds.

Tetsumi was passed the ball, but before she had the chance to pass it. Tsugawa appeared and slapped it away. Her eyes widened in shock as the ball was passed to Iwamura. Before anyone on Seirin had a chance to process what had just happened, the captain of Seiho dunked the ball in putting Seiho back in the lead.

"Face the facts little girl," Tsugawa taunted, striking a nerve inside of Tetsumi. "Your basketball is weak. Seiho is stronger than you and your team will ever be."

"You know the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results," Tetsumi told him, and Tsugawa blinked a few times obviously confused by her statement. "Well, that's exactly what you guys do. But don't worry, we'll prove you aren't insane."

Tsugawa raised a brow at the girl, both intrigued and confused. Seirin had the ball and right when they checked it in, Tetsumi called for a time out. Everyone, even her own team, was completely startled that she had called their final timeout. It wouldn't be wasted though; they had twenty-eight seconds to change the flow of the game. While it didn't sound like much time; if they did everything right it would be just enough.

"Why'd you call a time out?" Hyuga asked when they all arrived at the bench.

"Seiho is running the same defense they ran against you last year, and every game up to this point," Tetsumi said as she sat down on the bench. Her fellow teams nodded knowingly and asked what her point was. "My point is you don't do the same thing over and over and not have quirks."

"You mean how they point their toes in the direction they are going to run," Riko stated and Tetsumi looked up to her coach and nodded in agreement. "So it is a habit then."

"Barely noticeable, but yeah they do it, we were right to assume that," Tetsumi explained as she glanced over to the Seiho bench. Their coach was talking to them and he didn't appear to be too worried either. "Knowing this, it's imperative we slip them up."

"How do we do that?" Izuki asked with a raised brow as he took a sip of some water.

"Take the first shot quick, don't hesitate," Tetsumi said, turning her attention to Hyuga. "Seiho will make their own shot, which will leave us with about six to five seconds play time."

"How can you be sure of that?" Hyuga asked, worried that they would be cutting it too close to time.

"Because they're defensive and they think we can't break it in six seconds. Which ultimately is true," Tetsumi replied as she stood up from the bench and looked at Hyuga, who seemed very against her plan. "If we wanted to go in for a lay-up or dunk."

"You want to take a three," Riko assumed and Tetsumi nodded once.

"Well behind the three point line," Tetsumi added in as all eyes went to Hyuga, who stared right back at them. Out of everyone on the team, he was the one who could land the most threes. Tetsumi probably could have handled a three pointer, but it had been a while and she had a different roll to play. "It's your time to shine captain, make sure you're behind me on the final play."

* * *

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* * *

Takao was amused. His own team's game was a complete slaughter. They had about a minute left in the game and there was no way that the other team was going to win. There was nearly a seventy-five-point difference between Shutoku and their opponent. They knew that going in though, since the team they were against was a middle tier school. Midorima was sitting quietly beside Takao reading a magazine, but didn't seem very interested in it. The stormy eyed point guard just assumed he was trying to not be interested in his former teammates game. Takao knew better though, Midorima would probably love to watch the game between Seirin and Seiho. Especially at that very moment with twenty-eight seconds left and a mere two point difference.

"You're friend is pretty good, Shin-chan," Takao chirped as he watched the time out end and the teams enter back onto the court. The girl had done better than he thought, but it was to be expected if she played with Midorima. It wasn't like he was just some pushover on the court; he was really good at shaking players mentally with his insane three point shots. "You can admit it, I won't tell anyone," Takao teased when Midorima ignored his first comment.

"It is unnecessary," Midorima retorted, flipping a page of the magazine he was reading. "I know full well what Tetsumi-chan is capable of. It's irrelevant to state out loud."

"Well if you won't say it, at least watch it," Takao said with a chuckle as he pulled the magazine out of Midorima's hands. The green haired teen growled and snapped at the point guard, who only rolled the magazine up in his hands and held it out of his reach. "It's the last twenty-seconds, just watch."

"You're irrefutably irritating today," Midorima snorted as he pushed his glasses up, causing Takao to snicker. The sharp shooter of the Generation of Miracles looked at Seirin and Seiho's court. Izuki had just did a lay up in a matter of seconds. His eyes went over to the clock, revealing there was twenty seconds left on the clock. He looked at the scores: they were tied and it was Seiho's ball.

"Looks like Seiho will be our opponent, Shin-chan," Takao said.

"Don't be ridiculous," Midorima stated firmly, surprising Takao. "Tetsumi-chan is smart, she has a plan otherwise she wouldn't have let Seiho have the ball." The point guard blinked a few times and tilted his head. Midorima didn't say anything more; he only nodded towards the court. Seiho held the ball until they were down to the seven-second mark. Iwamura dunked the ball in and made an empty threat to Seirin, but it only seemed to fire them up.

"Seven seconds? Why would they not hold it the whole time?" Takao wondered aloud.

"Because they're confident," Midorima answered. "Or foolish to be more precise."

"They don't think Seirin can break through their defense in seven seconds," Takao said as he pieced it all together. Midorima nodded his head in agreement and looked at Tetsumi, who had the ball. The clock started ticking, and he let out a slow breath. Whatever Tetsumi had planned, Midorima hoped she would be able to pull it off in such a short amount of time.

Tetsumi dribbled the ball and Tsugawa was before her, defending the basket. Seiho had a man-to-man defense going, which had Takao wondering what she was going to do with no room to move. Tetsumi seemed to be pushing Tsugawa towards the basket, which was interesting in Takao's opinion. When they were just inside the three-point arc, Tetsumi pushed the ball forward, appearing to want to drive to the basket. Tsugawa fumbled over his own feet as the girl used her other hand to swipe the ball back. She pulled the ball back passed it behind herself into Hyuga's hands.

"Nice," Takao laughed.

Hyuga shot the ball just before the buzzer sounded. With the swish of the net, the ball fell through the hoop and Seirin pulled ahead of Seiho by one point. Seirin's bench erupted with cheers and surrounded Hyuga. They jumped up and down and laughed as they celebrated their victory over one of the Kings of Tokyo. Takao nodded his head and looked over at Midorima, who acted like he was happy for Tetsumi and her teammates.

"And as to be expected we won too," Takao pointed out as Shutoku's game also ended. "Six hours from now we'll be taking on your friend."

"She isn't my friend," Midorima corrected.

"Whatever you say, Shin-chan," Takao laughed as he handed his friend his magazine. Midorima took the magazine and stood up from his spot on the bench. Their teammates walked up a few moments later and made their way to the locker rooms. Midorima and Takao stayed behind though, watching Seirin celebrate.

Kagami hugged Tetsumi and she hugged him back, laughing happily in the process. Midorima raised a brow and turned on his heels. Takao watched him go and looked back at the celebrating team.

"We should go get some lunch," Midorima said before he started walking away.

* * *

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* * *

Aomine's eye twitched when he saw Kagami hug Tetsumi. She was so small compared to him. They laughed and smiled at one another. The tan skinned player snorted a bit and stood up from his spot. Momoi called out to him, but he ignored her and left. His hands were shoved in his pockets and while he kept a cool and collected exterior, he was furious on the inside. Aomine knew he had no reason to be mad at Kagami, but watching him touch Tetsumi and making her laugh and smile just didn't sit well with him. It just reminded him of the opportunity he had and missed.

He made his way out of the stadium; surprised that Momoi had come chasing after him. She probably knew he would be back and just needed to get out. Kise would keep her company for the time being, so he didn't worry about it too much. As he made his way down the stairs, he crossed the lobby and walked out onto the front patio.

Both games were over, so people started flooding out of the stadium to go get lunch before the next game that would start at six that evening. When he got outside, he walked over to a nearby bench and sat down. He let out a breath and titled his head back until he was looking up through the tree branches. It was such a nice day out, a perfect day with a clear blue sky. He spent many days like this outside on a basketball court with Tetsumi. Aomine often wondered where those days had gone and why it couldn't seem to go back to the way it used to be. There were times he even missed playing with the other guys.

"Ugh, what the hell," Aomine grumbled bitterly, scolding himself for caring so much. It wasn't like him to get jealous.

"It's unlike you to get flustered, Aomine," Midorima's voice came and Aomine looked up and rolled his eyes. Just what he wanted the most to get a lecture from Midorima. "I'm assuming you saw, Tetsumi and Kagami."

"I really don't want a lecture, especially from you," Aomine snapped and Midorima snickered as he sat down beside Aomine. "She's not the same person she was before."

"Of course she isn't," Midorima agreed with a shrug of his shoulders. "Tetsumi-chan went through a lot Aomine. You remember it. The whole ordeal. We were all there for the climb to the top and the whole ugly downward spiral. Did you really expect her to be the same?"

Aomine didn't answer he just remained quiet and stared down at the brick ground. He did remember it all, from the day they met to the accident and to the day she walked away.

Those memories never left him.


	23. THERAPY

**Author's Note: **A flashback chapter of Tetsumi's time in the hospital. As always, I apologize for typos and grammar errors, I don't have a beta, nor do I intend to get one because the ones I've had in the past either vanish or quit or they take like two weeks to get back to me. Also for the pairing of this story, I think you can make an educated guess on who it will be. If not, I guess I shall leave you guessing. Thank you all so much for the support, you are all so wonderful! I appreciate all the feedback you give me.

* * *

**THERAPY**

_ Tetsumi sat quietly in her hospital room, working on some of her science homework for school. Unfortunately, having a serious injury didn't pardon her from school. Not to mention both her parents told her they expected her to pass all her classes with flying colors since she had nothing better to do. Tetsumi flipped another page and scribbled down some notes, wishing she could just sleep or go home. It had only been two weeks since she came to the hospital. They didn't want her to leave until she did her physical therapy, which she wasn't looking forward too at all. It would all begin tomorrow, the doctors told her they would just start with easy things like walking to the nurse's station and stretches._

_ Her leg was wrapped up tight in white and neon pink bandages with a brace to hold everything in place. The break in her bone was pretty bad, it had snapped and fragmented a bit, but the doctors were confident she would recover after a lot of physical therapy. Tetsumi was afraid though, not of the therapy but of the end result. Her doctors and friends and family all told her to keep hoping for the best, but she didn't want to. When she was first told she may not be able to play basketball ever again it crushed her. That news hurt ten times more than the injury itself._

_ Tetsumi closed her science book and groaned as she fell back onto her pillows. She rubbed her eyes and stared up at the ceiling. Someone knocked on her door and she lifted her head from the pillow. It was too early to for any of the boys or her parents show up. When Tetsumi looked at the door she didn't see anyone and assumed she was just hearing things. As she laid back down, she heard another knock and raised a brow._

_ "Is someone there?" Tetsumi asked as she stared at the doorway. She heard a giggle, and furrowed her brows as someone poked their head into her room. "Rina-chan!" Tetsumi exclaimed with a laugh as the brunette walked into the room._

_ "I heard what happened, Tetsumi-chan," Rina said, brushing her hair from her eyes. "I thought you could use a friend." She smiled as she sat down on the edge of the bed and the two hugged. When they pulled apart, Rina touched Tetsumi's hair and chuckled. "It's gotten long again, you look so pretty."_

_ "Thanks," Tetsumi said as she leaned back on her pillows. Rina looked over to the bedside table and noticed a photograph. She got off the bed and walked over to it. When she picked up the photograph, she admired it and laughed lightly._

_ "Who is this? He's cute," Rina said, pointing at Aomine. His arm was slung around Tetsumi's shoulder with a big smile on his face while a bashful look was etched on Tetsumi's face. The blue haired girl smiled and shook her head, but Rina scowled. "Now I understand why you wanted to join the team." Rina wiggled her brows and put the photo back down on the table. There was a couch beside her bed with the window behind it. Rina dropped her bag on the floor and plopped down into the rustic brown leather couch._

_ "I didn't join the team for the cute boys," Tetsumi denied with a chuckle. "I loved basketball, you know that."_

_ "Loved?" Rina repeated in question. "Past tense? You don't love it anymore?" The brunette looked at Tetsumi, who started fiddling with a piece of string on her blanket. Her eyes drifted over to her bandaged leg. She shrugged her shoulders a moment later and looked at Rina, who frowned._

_ "It's scary, Rina-chan," Tetsumi admitted sadly._

_ "Of course it's scary," Rina said, leaning forward on the couch. "You broke your leg, you tore a ligament, and you have a long road of recovery in front of you. It's okay to be scared, Tetsumi-chan. You can still love basketball."_

_ "No, I can't," Tetsumi muttered with a shake of her head. "Because I may never be able to play again and I can't deal with that." She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed heavily. It sounded dumb, but Tetsumi didn't want to have hope that she could play basketball when there was an equal chance that she couldn't._

_ "What about your promise?" Rina asked._

_ "Don't," Tetsumi hissed. "I feel bad enough, you don't need to add onto it."_

_ Rina pursed her lips and nodded her head. She swallowed and stifled a laugh as she grabbed her bag. As she picked it up, she put it on her lap and unbuckled it. Rina dug around in her purse and pulled out a white envelope. She stood up from her seat and walked over to Tetsumi._

_ "It's from Ogiwara-kun," Rina explained as she held the envelope out to Tetsumi. At the sound of his name, Tetsumi hesitated in taking the letter. She shook her head and said she couldn't take it. "So you're just going to give up then?" Rina asked, shaking the envelope slightly, hoping it would entice Tetsumi to take it._

_ "It's not giving up," Tetsumi said, looking up at Rina. "It's being realistic, there's a difference."_

_ "Realistic?" Rina scoffed. "No, you're giving up on something you love because you're so sure it won't happen again. Ogiwara wrote this for you, so I'll leave it here. Read it or don't read it, just don't give up." She placed the envelope down on the small table and walked back over to the couch. She grabbed her purse and closed it back up before she made her way over to the door._

_ "It's hurts, Rina-chan," Tetsumi explained as a few tears welled up in her eyes. "I don't want to stop playing basketball, but I can't just go in thinking it'll all work out either."_

_ Rina leaned against the doorjamb and sighed softly. "Then don't, just take it day by day." She smiled at her friend and nodded to her. As she backed away from the door, Rina waved and spun around. "Whoa! I'm sorry," Rina laughed lightly when she saw the boy from Tetsumi's picture standing before her._

_ He was very tall and handsome. "Are you a friend of Tetsu's?" he asked her, shoving his hands into the pockets of his Teiko jacket. Rina looked him up and down, studying his massive build for someone who was only fourteen. The way he stood so tall, his tanned skin, his deep blue eyes, and his strong and resolute demeanor made him seem to be eighteen or nineteen years of age. Rina had to admit, she was a little jealous that Tetsumi got to talk to a boy such as this one._

_ "Yes, I'm Ugaki Rina," she introduced politely and bowed humbly. When she straightened herself out, she combed her hair over her shoulder and smiled. "It's nice to meet you."_

_ "Aomine Daiki," he replied with a single, curt nod._

_ Rina repeated his name and nodded her head with a bright smile on her face. Aomine pressed his lips together and wondered why she was staring at him in such a way. She stifled a laugh and apologized when she realized he was starting to shift uncomfortably before her. Rina stepped aside and gestured to Tetsumi's room. Aomine mouthed a small thanks and ventured into the room. Rina stood just outside the door and tilted her head slightly when Aomine walked in and plopped down on the bed. He was a different person around Tetsumi, he seemed more friendly and carefree. The surprising part about it all was that Tetsumi seemed to be glowing with excitement to see him._

_ Rina let out a small sigh and turned on her heels. When she looked down the hall, her eyes widened in surprise as four more relatively attractive young men with unique hair colors came her way. She quickly moved aside as they all filed into room. They seemed like an interesting bunch of boys. Rina looked at Tetsumi's face as she talked to all the boys. While it was just a small hint of it, Tetsumi appeared to be truly happy. Rina gripped the strap of her purse tightly in her hand and slowly walked away._

* * *

-###-

* * *

_"I know it's hard, but you have to keep trying," the female physical therapist said to Tetsumi. They were having her walk from her bed and to the door of her room. The woman was slender with auburn colored hair and honey brown eyes. She was a nice woman, very encouraging, but at the moment Tetsumi would like to throw her out the window. They'd been going at it for about half an hour, and Tetsumi just wasn't having it._

_ "Can I please just take a break? Could you go get me some water?" Tetsumi asked as politely as she could as she hobbled where she stood. The woman looked at the girl for a moment, before sighing. She helped Tetsumi sit on the edge of the bed and assured her she'd be back in five minutes._

_ "What's up with you, Shorty?" Aomine asked. He was leaning against the doorjamb of Tetsumi's room and seemed a bit worried. "They're trying to keep your strength up so you can play basketball again." The tanned boy pushed off the wall and walked over to her. When he sat down beside her, Tetsumi scoffed and shook her head. Aomine gave her a quizzical stare, but Tetsumi waved the matter off. He didn't like that at all, Tetsumi never brushed things off with him. They were good friends, and friends were supposed to tell each other things._

_ "Shouldn't you be at practice?" Tetsumi inquired with a raised brow._

_ "Shouldn't you be trying harder at your physical therapy?" Aomine shot back, wiggling his brows at her. The girl scoffed and rolled her eyes as she reached for the pillow on her bed and hit him with it. He laughed and blocked her hit with his arm. When she tried again he ripped it from her and playfully hit her back. Tetsumi giggled and fought him off, calling for a truce._

_ "We don't know if I will play basketball again, Dai-kun," Tetsumi explained with a small shrug. "I just don't want to get my hopes up." She had her hands in her lap and gently touched the brace that was around her leg. It was tightly wrapped in white gauzed, pink bandages, and of course her black brace. There were crutches laying against the foot of the bed and a wheelchair tucked away in the corner of the small room._

_ "Look at me," Aomine said gently, but when she refused he reached for her face. His calloused fingers gently pulled her chin to face him. Her eyes were bleary with tears, but Aomine shook his head, telling her not to cry. Tetsumi bit her lip and nodded stiffly, fighting back her tears. "If you don't try, there will be no hope of you ever playing basketball again. You've been through something scary, but you'll come through it. I'll be with you every step of the way, you know that." He smiled at her and gently rubbed his thumb over the supple skin of her cheek._

_ "And if I can't play even if I try?" Tetsumi asked him, her eyes gazing into his._

_ "You will play again, Shorty," Aomine assured her as he let his hand fall from her face. He placed his hand on hers in her lap and laced his fingers with hers. She looked down at their hands and smiled slightly._

_ "How do you know that?" she questioned._

_ "Because you love basketball," Aomine replied as he stared into her eyes. She didn't seem to think that was a good enough answer. He lowered his head, until their eyes met again. "You do remember you cut your hair, joined an all boys basketball team, and then managed to become one of the best players on said team in the span of three months, right? Granted you would have never made it without me," Aomine teased the last bit and earn a kick in the shin._

_ "I just wasn't fully developed at the time," Tetsumi snorted, pulling her hands from his. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned her nose up at him. The young boy chuckled and hopped off the bed. Tetsumi looked at him curiously as he held his hand out to her. When she looked up at his face, he had that same smile he wore the first time they started practicing together._

_ "Take my hand," Aomine commanded with a nod. Tetsumi licked her lips and sighed as she reached for his hand. "Now get up."_

_ "Geez, you're bossy," Tetsumi laughed as she placed her hand in his. He pulled her onto her feet and nodded to her as she looked back at him. There was a hint of worry in her eyes to take the first step, but Aomine encouraged her to try. He took a step back, stretching both their arms as far as they could go. Tetsumi took in a deep breath, closed her eyes and took a step._

_ "That's my girl," Aomine complimented as Tetsumi took another step, wobbling a bit and wincing at the pain. He nodded his head and told her she was doing great. Tetsumi looked at him and smiled as she took her third step. "You're doing it, Shorty, keep going." He took another step back and Tetsumi slowly followed him, laughing a bit as she took her fourth step._

_ "Okay, I can do this," Tetsumi said as she prepared to move her injured leg._

_ "I'm right here," Aomine told her when she looked at him for reassurance. Tetsumi nodded once and took another step. There was a slight pain that shot through her leg, causing Tetsumi to stumble forward. Aomine swiftly caught her in his arms and pushed her back into an upright position. He held to her tightly and her hands were clasped onto his shirt in front of his chest. She let out a shaky breath and looked up at Aomine. "You're okay, you did it." He smiled at her and brushed her hair from her face, wrapping it behind her ear._

_ "That hurt a little," she admitted._

_ "It's going to hurt, but it'll hurt more if you don't try," Aomine whispered to her. "It won't be easy either, but it will be worth it. And I promise I will be there every step of the way." Tetsumi smiled at him, and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into his strong shoulder. Aomine hugged her and rubbed her back gently._

_ "Thanks, Dai-kun," she said._

* * *

_-###-_

* * *

_ Four months since her injury and Tetsumi was finally able to leave the hospital. She had to return twice a week for check-ups, but ultimately the doctors and her physical therapist felt she was doing quite well. The journey before her was still long, but she had made a lot of progress in such a short time. Her therapist had told her that it was probably due to Aomine always being there for her, along with her other teammates._

_ Tetsumi was packing all of her belongings in her duffle bag. She couldn't believe she was finally leaving the hospital. When she looked over to her bedside table, she realized her photograph was still there. She carefully made her way over to it and picked it up. Beneath the framed photograph was the white envelope that Rina had left her. She couldn't believe she had forgotten about it after all this time. Tetsumi put the frame down and picked up the envelope._

_ She took a seat on the bed and opened up the envelope. Her fingers gripped the paper and she pulled it out. Tetsumi chuckled as she saw Ogiwara's messy handwriting scrawled over the paper._

_ Tetsumi-chan!_

_ I heard about your injury, in fact, I watched the video of it. That was an amazing shot, even though you broke your leg and tore your ACL. There's a lot of talk saying your career in basketball is over, but I happen to know that it isn't. You're going to get better and you're going to prove them all wrong. I have this gut feeling that we'll meet again on the court. We'll fulfill our promise, so don't give up!_

_ If I don't meet you again, I'll hunt you down and force you to play against me and my team! I believe in you, Tetsumi-chan. Take care of yourself, okay? No matter what anyone else says, you'll prove them wrong. Remember, you are the girl who got onto an all boys basketball team. That is pretty amazing, so stay strong!_

_ Until we meet again._

_ Shigehiro_

_ Tetsumi smiled as she read his letter and nodded her head. She folded it back up and placed it back into the envelope. Scooting off the bed, Tetsumi got up, grabbed the frame, and walked over to her bag. When both items were safely inside her bag, she zipped it up and slung the strap onto her shoulder. Her hands reached for the crutches at the end of her bed and tucked them under each arm._

_ "Your friends aren't coming?" her physical therapist, Yuna, asked as Tetsumi came out of her room._

_ "I didn't tell them that I was getting out today, I lied and told them it would be another couple of weeks," Tetsumi explained to her with a small smile. "I wanted to surprise them at practice, which is starting in an hour, so I better hop along," the teen joked, making light of her own condition._

_ Yuna chuckled and shook her head. "Well let me walk you to the bus stop at least," she offered as she put a clipboard down on the counter of the nurse's station._

_ "You don't have to, Yuna-san," Tetsumi stated with a wave of her hand. The woman didn't care though, she stood beside Tetsumi and nodded towards the elevators. The blue-haired teen smiled and nodded, thanking her as they went on their way. When they reached the elevator bay, the excitement of being able to leave was really sinking in. No more crappy hospital food, of course, Kise and Aomine often snuck in a vanilla milkshake for her. _

_ "Are you excited?" Yuna asked, upon seeing the smile growing on Tetsumi's face. She nodded quickly as they got into the elevator and rode it down to the ground floor. The fact that none of the boys knew she was leaving today made it even more exciting. Tetsumi couldn't wait until she got to surprise them all. They would probably be so happy to see her. Unfortunately, they stopped coming in a big group, she assumed it was because her room was much to small for all of them to be jumbled into, not to mention they still had to practice, and more than enough school work. Usually they just took turns coming to see her, but Aomine stopped by almost every day._

_ The elevator dinged and the two girls walked out into the main lobby. A few people were sat around in the uncomfortable looking blue chairs, while nurses scurried about with paperwork in their arms. Tetsumi wouldn't miss the hustle and bustle of the hospital in the least. She was so glad it would be four days before she was forced to return for some physical therapy. Her crutches propelled her forward to the front entrance of the hospital._

_ "Fresh air!" Tetsumi chirped as the sunlight and late winter breeze blew through. Spring was just around the corner, meaning the school year was nearly over. Not that it really mattered, Tetsumi was aware that she wouldn't be able to play basketball for another nine months. Yuna had assured her that she could play a little before the nine months ended, but she didn't recommend going too hard. Tetsumi was going to do everything she could to make sure she could play basketball with her team again. She would obey all of her doctors orders. They had assured her that with proper care and physical therapy her chances at playing again in high school would be pretty good._

_ "Tetsumi-chan," Yuna said when they reached the bus stop at the corner of the hospital parking lot. The teen turned to look at her therapist and smiled brightly. She felt like a bird that had just be freed from it's cage. "Listen, take it easy. You're not cleared for anything other than walking, and even though keep that to a minimum and use your crutches. Also be sure to do you stretches and massages to help with the muscle pains okay."_

_ "Don't worry, Yuna-san," Tetsumi replied, giving her a thumbs up. "I promise, I will be careful."_

_ "Alright, well take care and I'll see you in a few days," Yuna said as she gave the girl a quick hug. "And if you need anything at all, or if something doesn't feel right..."_

_ "I'll call you, Dr. Moro, or Dr. Nita." Tetsumi nodded her head, feeling confident to leave her doctors._

_ "Very good," Yuna smiled as she nodded her head. "Have fun, Tetsumi-chan."_

_ The bus pulled up a moment later, and Tetsumi beamed. When the doors opened up, tetsumi climbed into the bus and took a seat by the window. Yuna stood on the sidewalks edge and waved to the teen before she walked away. Tetsumi waved back and sighed in relief as the bus doors closed and started driving in the direction of Teiko Middle School._


	24. EMPTY

**Author's Note: **This will be the last flashback chapter for a little while, but they will most certainly come back. I hope I conveyed Tetsumi's emotions well in this chapter, and I hope you all enjoy it. Also, I am practically squirming in my chair when I see how close I am to 200 comments...like I cannot believe it! Thank you all so much for the support, I hope we make it to 200 comments soon!

* * *

**EMPTY**

_ School had ended about ten minutes ago, meaning practice was just starting. Tetsumi beamed as the bus rolled up to the stop just across the street from Teiko. Gathering up her things, Tetsumi prepared to depart the bus. When the bus stopped, she thanked the driver and carefully descended down the stairs. She had a love/hate relationship with her crutches. The moment she was on the sidewalk, she tucked her crutches under her arms. There was a hiss from the bus and the slam of its doors. Tetsumi waved to the bus as it drove off and before her was Teiko. With a smile on her face, Tetsumi used her crutches to propel herself forward. _

_ There were still a few students lingering about as they slowly made their way to the train station and others just walked home. They were all in their groups chatting away merrily on that Tuesday afternoon. She would be back to school first thing tomorrow, and she wondered which one of the boys would walk with her. Aomine would probably just sleep at her apartment and walk with her, but she was pretty sure Akashi would have his driver pick her up. Kise and Midorima didn't live very far from her, just a ten minute walk, but Murasakibara always stopped at the bakery near her place to get sweets. _

_ She'd really be lucky if any of her friends got to take her to school. Her mother and father would probably be hovering like helicopters. As it was, her mother had been coddling her even though her doctors and Yuna told her not too. She couldn't blame her mother though, Tetsumi was her only child, but her mother always wanted more kids. That's why Tetsumi always brought the boys and Momoi over, because it made her so happy to have a full house. _

_ Tetsumi sighed, feeling tired from her walk. This was the furthest journey she had ever gone on her crutches. They weren't very comfortable either, but it wasn't like she could put much weight down on her leg. Her doctors instructed her to stay off it as much as possible otherwise she risked damaging the bone further. A chilled breeze whipped passed her, cooling her warm body. She licked her lips and told herself to carry on, her friends faces would be worth it. Inhaling and then slowly exhaling, Tetsumi pressed forward. _

_ "Almost there, you got this," Tetsumi muttered, trying to give herself a pep talk. Contrary to popular belief, giving yourself a pep talk did not help very much. There was just something more inspiring when someone else was cheering you on. The gymnasium was finally in view, which gave Tetsumi the last bit of strength to move. There was something strange about the gym though, the doors were wide open, but she didn't hear a sound. "That's odd, I know practice should have started by now," Tetsumi said to herself as she glanced at the time on her watch. Sure enough it was a quarter pass three, and practice started at 3:10. _

_ She presumed they were still in the locker rooms. Maybe the coaches were talking to them, or even Akashi. They had a game on Friday, so it was a possibility they were going over some new plays. When she got to the door way, Tetsumi looked around the gym and saw one person. His back was to her and there was a basket of basketballs beside him. She frowned, realizing Midorima Shintaro was the only one present. Her blue eyes glanced up to the second level, but she didn't see anyone. The coaches office lights were off, there were no second or third string members in the stands or on the second level, and it didn't appear like any of the regulars were there. Tetsumi bit her lip and started to worry what was going on. Why was Midorima the only one there? Not even Momoi was around. _

_ It was just so empty and cold inside the gym. Tetsumi felt disheartened when she didn't see anyone else. She was so excited to come and surprise everyone, but only Midorima was there. He hadn't seemed to notice her standing in the doorway yet. His green eyes were focused on the basketball hoop as he stood two steps behind the three point line. Carefully and methodically, Midorima looked down at the ground and took a few more steps back, being just a step short from the half line. _

_ Tetsumi remained silent, waiting to see what he was going to do. The sound of the dribbling ball echoed in the gym. She had almost forgotten what it sounded like, especially in great stillness. Midorima raised his hands, getting into a perfect shooting form. With an effortless throw, the ball spun beautiful and landed in the hoop. The net swished and the ball bounced on the floor several times before rolling away. Tetsumi's eyes widened in surprise, she always knew Midorima was an amazing shot, but from the half line to sink it so perfectly. _

_ He flicked his green hair from his eyes and pushed his glasses up. Midorima walked towards the basket full of basketballs and reached in. When he leaned over, out of the corner of his eye he noticed someone was watching him. He straightened out and rested the ball against his hip, turning to the visitor._

_ "Tetsumi-chan!" Midorima gaped when he noticed the blue haired girl. He put the basketball back into the basket and jogged over to her. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't going to be released for another two weeks." His eyes drifted down to her braced leg then up the crutches back to her face._

_ "Well, I lied to come surprise you guys," Tetsumi explained with a small laugh. Her smile faded though and she shook her head, looking down sadly. "Guess it didn't turn out so well," she muttered and swallowed hard before looking back into Midorima's eyes. He seemed a bit disappointed too, but placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it._

_ "Come sit down, I was going to tell you this when I came to see you tomorrow," Midorima explained, nodding over to the benches. Tetsumi nodded and followed him over to the benches. When they were both seated, Midorima sighed softly and wondered where to begin. Since Tetsumi had been gone, things had slowly started changing. Midorima didn't tell her before, because she had enough things to worry about. "There are no more practices, in fact, there haven't been any for about three months."_

_ Tetsumi just about fell over. How could they not be practicing? Sure they were star players, ranked number one in all of Tokyo, possibly even Japan. That being sad though, they should still be practicing, it held an important value. Tetsumi shook her head and sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose. She just couldn't believe what she was hearing. It made her angry and sad all at the same time._

_ "About three weeks after your injury, Akashi and Murasakibara got into it. A one-on-one match to determine who was better. Aomine had already stopped coming to practice a week prior because the coach told him he didn't have to so long as the team won at the games," Midorima explained, and Tetsumi shook her head. That was one of the most absurd things she had ever heard. "Murasakibara felt that should apply to him as well, because well...he has really gotten good. The power in his dunks, best I've seen. Needless to say, Akashi didn't agree with it and told Murasakibara he still had to attend practice. That's when they got into the one-on-one match, if Murasakibara defeated Akashi then he would no longer need to come to practice either."_

_ Tetsumi scoffed. "I can't believe this."_

_ "In the end, Akashi won," Midorima explained and Tetsumi furrowed her brows._

_ "Then where are they?" she inquired, gesturing to the empty gym. _

_ "Akashi...changed," Midorima told her. He didn't really know how else to put it. The redhead with sunset eyes, wasn't the captain he used to be. He only cared about winning, and he knew that for a fact because Akashi himself said those words. As long as they won their games, Akashi allowed his teammates to do whatever they pleased. Midorima found that to be a foolish idea for there was still value in practicing even if they were all unbeatable on their own._

_ "Changed how?" Tetsumi asked, looking a bit worried. Midorima sighed and remembered the dark look in Akashi's eyes. Once red like a setting sun, his one eye became a fiery orange hue. It was like there were two Akashi instead of the one they knew. Akashi was a perfectionist, his family was wealthy and expected nothing less than excellent. Those traits seemed to shine through ever since that rainy day he face Murasakibara._

_ "He's cold, and dark, and distant," Midorima listed with a shrug of his shoulders. "He doesn't want us to play as a team anymore. He also said none of us had to come to practice anymore, and so no one did."_

_ "That's crazy!" Tetsumi snapped. "Basketball is a team sport!"_

_ "I know that," Midorima assured her, meeting her eyes. He could see her worry and frustration etched on her face. Things had taken a drastic turn for the worse after the game she was injured in. Although, Midorima believed they had been changing long before that. Aomine was undoubtedly the ace player on the team. He was fast, agile, and unpredictable. All alone Aomine could make fifty points by himself with no assistance from his fellow teammates. It was amazing and terrifying at the same time._

_ After Tetsumi had been put in the hospital, Aomine's fury became a weapon. His strength and prowess on the court fully bloomed into something deadly. Midorima couldn't believe how much Aomine had changed. He never smiled anymore, he never laughed, and he hardly hung out with them anymore. Momoi had tried many times to get him to join them, but he always refused. At first they all assumed it was merely the fact that he was missing Tetsumi, but it wasn't just that._

_ "So they all just quit? They all just gave up?" Tetsumi asked, feeling heartbroken. Those boys had told her to keep trying, to never give up, and that they would be there for her. But where were they? After everything they said, they were just empty promises. "You're all such hypocrites," Tetsumi hissed and shook her head as tears started to form in her eyes._

_ "Tetsumi-chan," Midorima said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We all still care about you."_

_ "I know, but we're a team," Tetsumi said as she shook her head slowly. "I wanted to come back to a team." She wiped away her tears and sighed softly. Midorima removed his hand from her shoulder and frowned. He could only imagine what it felt like to know your team, your support system, was gone. Tetsumi looked at Midorima and rested her head on his shoulder. At first he stiffened a bit, surprised by her action. Nonetheless, Midorima sat quietly beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. _

* * *

_-###-_

* * *

_ Tetsumi cursed. Why did Aomine have to chose to nap on the rooftops? Climbing the stairs with a broken leg was difficult and exhausting. She only had one more flight to go before she would be on the rooftop. Sweat beads formed on her form head, and her one good leg was trembling a bit. She had lied to Midorima about going to see her teachers to get her assignments and turn in what she had. Tetsumi wanted to talk to Aomine, or more like grill him for not telling her what had happened with the team. Really, she planned on getting after all of them. Aomine was her first target though because he'd probably be the most difficult and most importantly, they were the closest. _

_ Tetsumi finally reached the rooftop and pushed the door open. Her breathing was slightly labored and her body felt very warm. She welcomed the chilly late winter breeze and looked around. Aomine wasn't there, which meant he was most likely on top of the housing unit of the air conditioning system. She walked around the stairs entrance and sure enough she saw his bent knees on top of the small building. Placing her crutches under her arms, Tetsumi moved towards the building. She looked at the stairs and huffed, knowing she couldn't climb the ladder. _

_ Tetsumi put her fingers to her mouth and let out a sharp whistle. When she looked up at the building rooftop, Aomine shot up and looked around. He furrowed his brows and looked her way. His mouth fell open and his eyes widened when he saw Tetsumi, looking up at him. She smiled weakly and gestured for him to come down. He seemed a bit awestruck, rubbing his eyes as if he thought he was still dreaming. Before she knew it, Aomine was scrambled down the ladder and landed on the ground. His steel blue eyes were piercing right into her cerulean ones. _

_ "Shorty?" Aomine inquired with a raised brow as he shook his head with his mouth hanging wide open. "How did...when did...why are...shouldn't you be at the hospital?" he blurted out, completely unsure of where he should begin. _

_ Tetsumi nodded her head slowly and pursed her lips. "I lied," she said with a shrug. "I wanted to surprise you guys by showing up at practice, but lo and behold, only Rima-kun was there and imagine my excitement when I found out that you guys haven't been practicing for the past three months," Tetsumi said with a chuckle and shook her head. Her words were laced with sarcasm and Aomine could tell she was very upset with them. He felt guilty, but the truth was he didn't want to practice anymore. Everyone called him a monster, saying he was just too good, and it was discouraging when his opponents didn't even try. _

_ So what was the point of practicing? You practice to get stronger, but he was plenty strong. There wasn't a need for him to practice. Really, none of them needed to practice. Murasakibara was a powerhouse, Akashi could ankle break just about anyone, Midorima could shoot as far as the half court line, and Kise had gotten his copying ability down to a science. The last five games they had played they had managed to nearly triple the scores. He realized they sounded cocky, but the truth was they didn't need to practice anymore. _

_ "No one's good enough, Shorty," Aomine replied with a halfhearted shrug, and Tetsumi scrunched up her nose. "We don't need to practice anymore. We slaughter our opponents, it's getting boring now." _

_ "Wow," Tetsumi scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "That's just rich coming from you." _

_ Aomine furrowed his brows. "What's that supposed to mean?" _

_ "Exactly what it sounds like," Tetsumi retorted and turned herself around. Aomine licked his lips and ran in front of her, cutting off her path. She looked away from him and shook her head. He didn't understand why she was so upset. "You guys are such lairs! And hypocrites! This whole time, I've been trying to get better to play basketball with you guys again. You all promised we'd stick together, we'd play basketball together, that I'd get better and you would be there for me, that all of you would be there for me." Tetsumi had tears welling in her eyes, and Aomine felt helpless. _

_ "We are here for you, and we will play still," Aomine assured her, but Tetsumi shook her head. _

_ "No, you guys gave up," Tetsumi said, wiping away a single tear that had fallen. _

_ "Gave up? Shorty we haven't given up," Aomine said with a shake of his head. "We're all still playing basketball." _

_ "How is it playing together when you guys don't want to do team play? You don't want to go to practice? You just go to games, but that's it. We win, and that's all that matters." Tetsumi sighed bitterly and tried to get around Aomine, but he stepped in front of her again. She narrowed her eyes at him as he looked at her, completely dumbfounded. "Get out of my way, Aomine." _

_ At the sound of his name, Aomine froze. She never called him by his surname alone, even when they first met. He couldn't believe she had done that. "Before you start saying everything's changed, come to the game first." _

_ Tetsumi stared at him as he remained blocking her path. "Everything has changed," she assured him and frowned slightly. "And the sad part about all of it, you guys don't even care." _

_ "Is that my fault?" Aomine asked harshly, causing Tetsumi to flinch a bit. "The only one who can beat me is me." _

_ "There's someone out there who is just as strong as you, maybe even stronger. Just because you haven't found that person yet doesn't mean that you or any of the others can just quit," Tetsumi said softly, meeting his eyes. "You guys can't tell me that I can't give up when you've given up yourselves." _

_ Aomine looked away from Tetsumi and licked his lips. "You're right," he admitted with a single nod. "I'm sorry." _

_ She tilted her head slightly and smiled weakly. "I'm going to talk to the others," she explained. "We have to keep practicing." _

_ "Good luck with Murasakibara," Aomine chuckled. _

_ "I'll bribe him with candy and chips," Tetsumi joked with a laugh, and Aomine laughed too. "And Ki-kun should come pretty easily. Rima-kun said Akashi's changed." She looked at Aomine, who nodded in agreement. While he hadn't spent much time with any of them lately other than games, Akashi wasn't his usual self. There was something different about him, something darker and colder. _

_ "Akashi may not be so easily convinced," Aomine said with a shrug. "He's a different person now, I don't know how to explain it." _

_ "It's okay, I'll worry about him," Tetsumi replied, waving the matter off. She knew how to talk to Akashi better than anyone. The only other person who could probably handle him was Midorima, but even then the green haired sharp shooter didn't like to. He wasn't afraid of Akashi, but there was no denying that Akashi was intimidating. _

_ "Want to go get a vanilla shake?" Aomine suggested with a hopeful grin on his face. _

_ "Are you buying?" Tetsumi asked with a sly smirk. _

_ "I suppose," Aomine chuckled, and Tetsumi giggled. "Come on, let's go." He nodded towards the door and opened it up. Tetsumi walked in and stopped when she looked at the massive flight of stairs. _

_ "Could you carry me?" Tetsumi asked as Aomine started down the stairs. He turned to look at her and looked at her leg. With a chuckle, Aomine nodded for her to hop onto his back. When she got onto his back, Aomine put his hands under her thighs to support her weight. _

_ "Well, you're heavier than you look," Aomine commented. _

_ "Are you calling me fat?" Tetsumi mumbled with a pout. _

_ "I'm saying maybe you should lay off the vanilla shakes," Aomine teased, not meaning it at all. He was only joking, but Tetsumi bonked him on the head with her crutches. Aomine laughed and started down the stairs. "I'm only joking, you're perfectly fine just the way you are." He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at her. Tetsumi blushed slightly and bit her lip, nodding her head slowly to assure him she understood. Aomine turned back around, watching his step as they descended the stairs. _

* * *

_-###-_

* * *

_ Tetsumi knew Akashi would arrive early to school, he always did. She sat on one of the benches out of the school's gym and glanced up when she heard footsteps. Her eyes locked onto the redhead as he came forth. The morning sunlight broke through the buildings, shadowing some areas and brightening others. Akashi stopped in the light between two of the buildings when his eyes landed on Tetsumi. She smiled at him and used her crutches to pull herself up. The captain smirked and nodded his head, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his school blazer. Tetsumi turned to face him, and noticed that his eyes were indeed different now. They were heterochromatic now with his right eye being the same fiery sunset red and his left being on orange like gold hue that resembled a morning sunrise. _

_ "Shintaro mentioned you had been released from the hospital," Akashi voiced as he started walking to Tetsumi. He stopped a few steps away from her and looked down at her leg. When he looked back up at her, he smiled weakly and gestured for her to sit back down. "How is your leg, Tetsumi?" he asked when she sat back down. _

_ "It's healing," she answered with a small shrug. "Why weren't you and the others at practice the other day?" Her eyes locked with his, and she finally came to understand what both Midorima and Aomine had told her. They were cold, even though they depicted the color of volcanic fire. There was something in the air of his presence, a certain pressure that was very intimidating. Akashi was always a bit on the intimidating side, but this was a different level that even had Tetsumi a little nervous. He was usually polite and aloof, but in this moment he was simply intense and fierce. That crooked smile on his face seemed to be laced with malice. _

_ "Isn't it obvious?" Akashi inquired as he sat down beside her. _

_ Tetsumi furrowed her brows and stared at him. "You never allowed anyone to skip before, neither did any of the coaches." _

_ The redhead laughed lightly and leaned back on the bench. He crossed one leg over the other and looked up at the sky as the white fluffy clouds floated by. It was a very clear and crisp morning. "Things are different now," Akashi explained, turning his attention to Tetsumi. "Practice is not required any longer." _

_ "Why not?" she shot at him. _

_ Akashi raised a brow at her curiously. "Because we are simply too strong for our opponents, so why waste our time." _

_ Tetsumi looked away from Akashi. She couldn't believe the drill sergeant of the team was saying those words. Before when anyone was late it was an instant fifty suicide runs, fifty push-ups, and fifty calf raises. If someone didn't show up at all without a reasonable excuse, Akashi had them run 200 suicides then mop the locker rooms and the courts. He used to push that practice was the most important part of basketball. It was strange to hear him claim it wasn't required just because they had gotten so strong. _

_ "A waste of time?" Tetsumi repeated in question and scoffed as she shook her head. "Who are you? What did you do with Sei-kun?" she asked, refusing to believe this was her captain. _

_ "I am Akashi Seijuro," he assured her, placing a hand on his chest. _

_ "What's going on, Sei-kun?" Tetsumi asked, shaking her head. Her eyes searched his, but she couldn't seem to find the answers she was looking for. "You can't be serious about all of this. And what's this about no more team play?" _

_ "We have become a powerful team," Akashi explained, and Tetsumi nodded her head knowingly. Momoi had visited her on the weekends and showed Tetsumi highlight reels from the boys games. They were amazing, but regardless of that they should still use team play and practice. "We don't need team play any longer, we're strong individually." _

_ "So what?" Tetsumi snapped at him. "That doesn't mean you should play alone, there are four others on the court with you. They play on your side, you should rely on one another. That's the beauty of the game." It was through basketball Tetsumi had met so many amazing people. Without basketball she would have never met Momoi, Aomine, Akashi, Ogiwara, Rina, or any of her friends. Basketball was meant to be a team sport, it was a game of trust, power, and accuracy. It was supposed to be fun, but the boys just seemed to play simply because they were good at it. _

_ "The only point is to emerge victorious," Akashi informed her. _

_ Tetsumi stared at him with an open mouth. "You're kidding right?" _

_ "I am not," Akashi answered shortly and stood up from the bench. _

_ "Call a practice, Sei-kun," Tetsumi commanded, but Akashi merely chuckled. "I'm serious." _

_ "No," Akashi asserted and took a few steps forward. He stopped for a moment and turned back around to look at Tetsumi, who seemed both angry and confused. "Come to the game on Friday, and I will prove that team play and practice is unnecessary." _

_ "It's not that Akashi!" Tetsumi sassed and stood up. She used her crutches to move her closer to her captain. He was a few inches taller than her, but that dark look on his face had her shuddering on the inside. "Basketball is a team sport, we should be playing as a team and practicing to improve our trust in one another." _

_ Akashi reached out quickly, gripping her chin in his hands. Tetsumi gasped at his strong grip and narrowed her eyes at him. Not once had he ever done such a thing. He was normally so gentle with her. Tetsumi yanked her face free from his hold and took a step back. Her eyes were locked on his as he appeared to be taunting her. _

_ "You forget your place, Hanaemi," Akashi smirked as his hand slowly fell back to his side. "I will not call a practice, but I will allow you to do as you please." He bowed his head to her and turned on his heels, leaving her alone on the sidewalk between the two gyms._


	25. KISS

**Author's Note: **Hello peeps! Originally, this wasn't going to happen until after the Shutoku match. Then I started thinking about it, and realized it would be better to happen before eit. So after moving some of the plot stuff around, I bring you this chapter. Please tell me what you think, and I apologize for my typos and errors! If you see any feel free to point them out and I will make the corrections. I'm so excited to bring you all this chapter!

* * *

**KISS**

Aomine looked at Midorima after they spent the past fifteen minutes talking about Tetsumi coming back from the hospital. She really was something else. When he thought back to it, Aomine realized they were such jerks. All she really wanted was for them to be friends, but they simply brushed it off. Tetsumi tried to get them to practice together, everyone aside from Akashi attempted too. Unfortunately, it didn't stay that way long at all. In time, Tetsumi stopped coming to practices too, she stopped talking to all of them, and she seemed to just disappear into the background. Aomine ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head. He wanted to play like Tetsumi said, but he just couldn't find anyone that could keep up with him.

There was no point in team play when he could do it all by himself. He sighed and stood up from the bench. Midorima looked up at him and raised a brow. "It'll be a good game," Aomine said simply, and Midorima nodded in agreement. "I don't know which of you will win, but it'll be a good game."

"Well don't insult me," Midorima chided as he pushed his glasses up.

"I think Shorty's gonna give you a hard time, Midorima," Aomine explained as he turned back to look at him. The green haired teen snorted and stood up, looking into Aomine's eyes. "I know you're just being proud, but back in Teiko...Shorty's passes could shut you down."

Midorima smirked. He found it funny that Aomine was talking to him in such a way. It was like he thought Midorima didn't believe in Tetsumi, but the fact was he did believe in her. Tetsumi was strong mentally, she found weaknesses in players quickly. She was always good at exploiting them as well. While her analyzing abilities weren't on par with Momoi's, Tetsumi had a knack for observing people. She could find their ticks, their quirks, and their habits and formulate a plan to stop them. Midorima remembered finding Tetsumi studying DVDs countless times back in their first and second year of middle school. She always came prepared for a match, but so did he.

"I won't deny that, but she is no longer the same girl and I did not plan on facing her aimlessly," Midorima explained, and Aomine looked at him with a hint of intrigue written on his face. "Tetsumi has always been a wildcard, but like everyone else she has a weakness."

Aomine furrowed his brows. It was true every player had their weaknesses, but sometimes it was hard to fidn them. In the case of Tetsumi in the past it had always been her stamina that hurt her. Aomine had to assume that her stamina probably wasn't any better now considering her injury. While it was fully healed, excessive play would case it to start hurting. The tanned teen decided not to ask what Midorima meant, and merely told him he'd see for himself what would happen.

Once Aomine was gone, Midorima turned back around and looked at the stadium. His eyes landed on Akashi Seijuro, standing at the top of the stairs. He blinked and the redhead was lost into the crowds of people, exiting the stadium.

"Shin-chan!" Takao hollered, waving to his teammate. "Geez, always running off I'm gonna need to put a tracking anklet on you."

Midorima chortled at Takao's ridiculous comment. "Let's go, Takao."

"Who was that guy you were talking to?" Takao asked as he followed Midorima across the terrace.

"No one important," Midorima dismissed, but Takao wasn't one to simply drop things.

"He was wearing a Tōō Academy jacket wasn't he?" Takao inquired, but Midorima stayed quiet as they continued walking in the direction of some nearby restaurants. "You guys looked pretty chummy. Was he a former teammate or something?"

"Does it matter?" Midorima huffed, hoping Takao would just leave it alone. Honetsly, he didn't see why it mattered to the point guard at all. Even though Midorima was trying to be rude and short tempered with him, Takao only chuckled and put his hands behind his head.

"You're so secretive, Shin-chan," Takao teased, only earning an eye roll in response from Midorima.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Tetsumi leaned back against the back of her chair. She poked around at her salad and seemed lost in thought. Kagami snapped his fingers in front of her face, causing her to look up quickly. He chuckled and wordlessly asked her what's wrong by nodding his head. Tetsumi smiled at him and shook her head before popping a cherry tomato into her mouth. The redhead raised a brow at her, not seeming to believe her. She shrugged her shoulders and continued to eat quietly. Kagami sipped on his drink, and looked down the table. All the other members of Seirin were chatting idly while munching on their own meals. In roughly, five hours they'd be back on the court facing Shutoku.

"After this it's straight back to the stadium," Riko declared, looking to all the members of the team. They all seemed to be in agreement, wanting to just rest as much as they could. Kagami knew that they were all counting on Tetsumi and himself to lead them to victory. "Calorie charge, rest, and I'll massage everyone." Riko bit into her sandwich and looked down to Kagami and Tetsumi, who both nodded to her.

Tetsumi finished up her salad and felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled it out. A blue light flashed alerting her that she'd received a new text message from someone. Flipping her phone open, Tetsumi checked her texts and raised a brow upon seeing the name Aomine Daiki. She glanced to her team as they were talking about the match against Seiho, soaking in the glory of beating the best defense in Tokyo. Tetsumi smiled happily at them and went back to check her text messages.

**To:** Kuroko Tetsumi

** From:** Aomine Daiki

** Message:** No vanilla shake?

Tetsumi's brows furrowed and she glanced around the restaurant. There were plenty of people around, but she didn't see Aomine anywhere. Her phone buzzed again, and she glanced down.

**Message:** Look up.

Tetsumi lifted her gaze. Through the window behind Kagami, she saw Aomine leaned up against a light post. He smirked at her and waved for her to come outside. Tetsumi pressed her lips together and glanced at her teammates. She looked back at Aomine, who waited for her patiently. With a small sigh, Tetsumi nodded slightly to Aomine. She got up from her chair, hoping no one would notice, but Kagami looked at her right before she could make her escape.

"Where you going?" Kagami asked before taking a sip of his drink.

"Bathroom, wanna come?" she asked with a smirk before nonchalantly walking away. Kagami snorted and rolled his eyes, returning back to the conversation he was in. Sighing with relief, Tetsumi acted like she was going to the bathroom before slipping out the front door. It was a good thing the bathrooms were right up front by the entrance. When she got outside, she looked at Aomine on the other side of the road.

"Let's take a walk," Aomine called over to her as some cars raced by.

"I don't have that much time," Tetsumi replied with a shake of her head. "And I'm still not talking to you." She crossed her arms over her chest. The cars at the intersection stopped and the green light for pedestrians came on. Aomine jogged across the street and looked down at Tetsumi, who stared up at him defiantly.

"If you weren't talking to me, you wouldn't have come outside," Aomine said cheekily, causing Tetsumi to puff up her cheeks. "In reality you secretly want me, but you're just too afraid to admit it." When he said those words, he was partially joking, but another part of him was hoping they were true. By the rosy blush on her cheeks, Aomine felt pretty confident in the latter.

"No, you just want me to want you," Tetsumi corrected with a wave of her finger. Aomine stifled a laugh and shook his head. She was always so cute how she'd tiptoe around such things. "Now, what are you doing here?"

"Satsuki dragged me to watch your game," Aomine answered, and Tetsumi looked down a little sadly. The tanned teen quickly realized his mistake and scratched the back of his neck. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Nope, you're good," Tetsumi replied, waving the matter off. "Anything else?"

Aomine stared at her and had an internal debate on what to say. He could just do what Satsuki told him and tell her something encouraging for the game with Midorima. That wasn't really his style though, and Tetsumi probably didn't care to hear that from him anyways. He knew what she wanted him to say, but he didn't know how to tell her how he felt about her. She had to know though; everyone knew he had feelings for her. Of course, Tetsumi was probably seeking some sort of grand gesture.

"If that's all, I gotta get back," Tetsumi said, turning around to gesture to her teammates.

When she turned back, Aomine did the only thing he could think of. It was impulsive, but he was better at actions than words. Tetsumi's eyes widened in shock and the air in her lungs hitched. Aomine pressed his lips onto Tetsumi's.

He half expected Tetsumi to push him away or slap, possibly a combination of the two. Instead, Tetsumi's wide eyes slowly closed and she pushed herself onto her tiptoes. Aomine wrapped one arm around her waist, her body bending into his. With their lips connected, everything just seemed to fall right into place. It felt right, and had Aomine wondering why he hadn't just done this back at Kaoru's restaurant three days ago. Her hands moved slowly up his muscled chest and to his neck. She gripped him softly, yet firmly, moving her lips against his.

Tetsumi moved away from Aomine, but kept her body pressed against his. Her fingers were laced together around his neck and she had stars in her eyes. She let out a breath and closed her eyes as she lowered her head, resting it against his chest. His heart was racing so fast, which made Tetsumi smile breathlessly. When she went flat on her feet, Tetsumi looked up at Aomine and shook her head.

Aomine chuckled lightly and brushed a few stray strands of Tetsumi's hair behind her ear. The girl smiled at him and pushed herself back onto her toes, pressing her lips to his again. Aomine pulled her close to him, kissing her back like she was his lifeline. Not even a moment later, Tetsumi pushed away from him and ran back across the street. When she was on the other side of the street, she smiled at him and turned to go back into the restaurant.

He watched as she sat back down at the table with her team. Aomine licked his lips, still feeling Tetsumi's body pressed against him and her soft lips pressed to his. Pushing off of the light post, Aomine smirked and walked away.

* * *

-###-

* * *

There were only two more hours before the game with Shutoku was going to begin. Tetsumi was sitting on the floor of the locker room. Kagami was sitting beside her and had fallen asleep. She glanced at him and smiled before looking at the other members on the team. Riko had massaged everyone and had even prepared some honey lemons, but they didn't appear that appetizing since she didn't cut them. Tetsumi quickly learned from Hyuga and Izuki that Riko wasn't exactly a cook.

She closed the book she was reading and yawned. It was time for her to go on a little walk before she completely shut down. As she stood up and stepped over Kagami, she stretched her arms and felt a numb pain in her knee. Tetsumi licked her lips and let out a breath, hoping it was just sore from having sat on the floor for too long. She told everyone she was going to get a drink and would be back soon.

There were spectators watching a middle school match that was going on. She pursed her lips and decided to take a little detour. As she climbed up the stairs, she stopped at the railing and looked down at the court. Tetsumi smirked when she realized it was Teiko Middle School playing. Her arms folded onto the metal railing and she nodded her head. Sitting on the bench, looking at stern as ever was Coach Sanada. A laugh escaped her lips as she noticed he had some gray hair and appeared a little wrinklier than before.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" someone said, and Tetsumi turned around.

"Niji-kun!" she smiled as he came over to her and leaned on the railing beside her. "It's definitely something." Tetsumi brushed her hair behind her ear and glanced at Nijimura, who nodded in agreement. His dark hair fell into his eyes and he watched as the middle schoolers running up and down the court.

"I saw you and Aomine," Nijimura said with a smirk on his face. "You two are disgustingly cute."

"What?" Tetsumi asked, laughing a bit and blushing just as much. Nijimura laughed a bit and shook his head. "I don't—"

"You two were having a little steamy make-out session outside that café," Nijimura commented, and Tetsumi thought she was going to fall over due to her embarrassment. Her former teammate only laughed. He put his hand on her head and ruffled up her hair, causing her to sigh in annoyance. "I called it, a long time ago." He seemed so proud of himself, and Tetsumi shook her head.

"It was just a kiss," Tetsumi mumbled, and Nijimura sputtered. "It was!"

"Aomine has liked you since he first met you, Shrimp," Nijimura said with a shrug of his shoulders. Tetsumi stared at Nijimura for a little bit before licking her lips. "For what it's worth, you two are good for each other." He nudged her and chuckled, when she stared at the ground and smiled like a lovesick schoolgirl.

"Why do you say that?" Tetsumi asked with a raised brow.

"You're shadow and light," Nijimura explained with a smile, ruffling her hair again. Tetsumi slapped his hand away lightly and glared at him. "You two compliment each other in more ways than one." He pushed off the railing and gestured for her to follow him. Tetsumi pushed off of the railing and walked alongside him as they made their way down the stairs to the ground level.

"He isn't the same guy he used to be," Tetsumi said, shoving her hands in the pockets of her jacket. Nijimura rolled his eyes and waved the matter off. "I'm serious, Niji-kun."

"People change, Shrimp," Nijimura told her with a small shrug. He put his arm around her shoulders and led her outside onto the terrace. When they got outside, he removed his arm and sat down at a bench under the shade of a tree. "I know you took it hard after they all changed and essentially became gods, but deep down they're still the same guys you knew." He patted the empty spot next to him and Tetsumi sat down beside him.

"That's not true for Sei-kun," Tetsumi told him with a sad sigh.

"Yes, well…he's always been…different," Nijimura tried with a chuckle, and Tetsumi laughed too. "They're still your friends, Shrimp. Don't give up on them." He leaned back on the bench, propping his elbows on the backing of it.

"Ugh, that line," Tetsumi huffed with a roll of her eyes. "Everyone keeps telling me not to give up on this or that."

Nijimura nodded slowly and clicked his tongue. "Because giving up means it's over," he explained with a small smile, poking her in the forehead. "And you don't want it to end this way, right?"

"With this hair ruffling, and poking, I'm going to be forced to hit you soon," Tetsumi pouted, rubbing the spot he just poked. Nijimura chortled and stood up, ruffling her hair again. "Niji-kun!" she whined as he pulled her ponytail free and laughed at her. The handsome young teen jumped out of the way when she tried to hit him.

"Truce, truce! That was the last time," Nijimura assured her, holding her hair tie out to her. Tetsumi rolled her eyes, and agreed taking the tie from him. Combing her hair back up into her high ponytail, Tetsumi secured it and looked at Nijimura. He had always been like an older brother too her, she hated it when he graduated. She had no one to talk to about the more serious stuff about the boys. "You're game tonight is against Midorima, right?"

"Yeah," she responded with a nod.

"Well, don't tell him I said this," Nijimura began as he sat down and leaned closer to her. "My bets are on you," he whispered into her ear, and Tetsumi smirked.

"Oh no, has he sunk his fangs into you?" Aomine's voice came and the two turned around, seeing the dark skinned teen. Nijimura snickered and stood up, tilting his head a bit. It had been a while since the two of them had seen each other, but Aomine had grown several inches since middle school. "Long time no see, Nijimura." Aomine nodded to his former teammate in respectful manner.

"You've gotten taller, Aomine," Nijimura smirked as he held his fist out to him, and Aomine laughed. They bumped fist and Tetsumi smiled happily, that smile and laugh she saw coming from Aomine were just like the old days. "By the way, take care of Shrimp, she's still trying to figure stuff out." Nijimura looked at Tetsumi, and she smiled at him.

"I always have," Aomine replied, looking at Tetsumi, who scoffed.

"Well good, then my work here is done," Nijimura affirmed with a proud nod as he walked over to Tetsumi. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight, kissing the top of her head. "Good luck tonight, Shrimp." When he let her go, he turned back to Aomine and clapped him on the shoulder before wandering back into the stadium.

"What was he saying to you?" Aomine asked, turning back to Tetsumi once Nijimura was out of sight.

"I can't tell you, it's a secret," she teased, batting her lashes at him. "Besides I have to get back, my team is probably looking for me."

"I'll walk you," Aomine offered and Tetsumi nodded, saying she would like that. As they started walking, Tetsumi glanced up at Aomine and took in a deep breath. She reached for the crook of his arm and wrapped her arms around it. Aomine smiled weakly and looked down at Tetsumi. "Well I take back all the mean things I was thinking about Nijimura."

Tetsumi only laughed in response.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Fifteen minutes to game time, the stand had filled again and everyone was wondering who would win the match. Shutoku had Midorima Shintaro, the ace shooter of the Generation of Miracles. Meanwhile, Seirin was a group of underdogs that constantly seemed to surprise everyone. Aomine made his way back over to where he had been sitting during the afternoon matches. Momoi, Kise, and Kasamatsu were already there and were talking about the match. The pink haired girl noticed Aomine coming over and smiled at him.

"Where have you been?" she asked, causing both Kasamatsu and Kise to turn and look at him.

"Taking a nap," he replied simply as he plopped down in the empty chair beside her. Momoi raised a brow, but really it wasn't all that hard to believe. Aomine was always off dozing somewhere rather than studying or practicing. On occasion he might have been stuffing his face somewhere.

"Who do you think is going to win, Aominecchi?" Kise asked, bouncing in his seat with excitement. His eyes were fixed on the court as the two teams walked out to warm up. "I've heard that Midorima's range has extended." He glanced over to Aomine, who nodded slowly.

After having spoken to Midorima, Aomine was fairly certain that he had a few strategies to handle Seirin. He knew what Tetsumi was capable of. Seirin wasn't an extraordinary team. They were still new and had a lot to work on, but Aomine wouldn't say they were completely useless either. The real decision of who would win was up to Tetsumi's new light.

"It will depend on her new light," Aomine said, leaning back in his chair as he watched Tetsumi talking with the redhead. She was smiling at him and nodding her head while he was laughing a bit. It was odd to watch her smiling like that. Aomine could feel his jealousy bubbling again. "The shadow is only as strong as her light."

"He's strong," Kise said with a single nod.

"Let's not get carried away," Aomine replied with a snort.


	26. SHUTOKU

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone! So the Shutoku and Seirin match is about to begin yay! I decided to change this game up a bit, because I've been accused of having unoriginal ideas. Anyways, this chapter focuses pretty much entirely on basketball and Takao and Tetsumi's love/hate relationship for one another. The game will only be two chapters long though and then I'll be focusing more on relationships between characters. Tell me what you think! I love your feedback! And as always I apologize for typos and grammar mistakes.

* * *

**SHUTOKU**

Hyuga stretched and sighed, letting his arms fall to his sides. He would have much preferred to play tomorrow. Seiho had really taken it out of him, even with a six-hour break. The game was going to begin in two minutes, so he called the team together. They all formed a circle near the bench, and Hyuga looked to the starting line up. The truth was, Mitobe and Izuki were exhausted too. They would battle it out though; they wouldn't quit until the very end. This was their chance to move onto the next round. Struggling through Seiho wasn't easy, and Hyuga had a feeling that Shutoku wouldn't be a walk in the park either.

"Here are the facts," Hyuga began as he hunched over a bit and placed his hands on his knees. "Shutoku is no joke. They have Midorima, they run an impressive offense, and their defense is just as good. This will not be an easy match, and quite frankly I'd rather not go into it like this. Unfortunately, we don't get to decide that," Hyuga paused for a moment and took in a deep breath before continuing, "Shutoku is better than us. Every one of us knows that, but we've already beaten one King. So with that being said, let's just beat these guys and call it a day."

Tetsumi smirked as Hyuga stood up straight and looked to his teammates. Izuki and Mitobe both nodded to their friend and looked at Kagami and Tetsumi. "We're counting on you," Izuki said, and Mitobe nodded his head in agreement. "No pressure." The eagle eye player winked at them and Hyuga rolled his eyes.

The referee blew the whistle, alerting both teams that it was game time. Kagami looked over at Midorima as he peeled off his Shutoku t-shirt and made his way onto the court. Tetsumi placed a hand on Kagami's arm and he looked down at her.

"Midorima's three-pointers are mentally damaging," Tetsumi told him, looking over at him as he lined up with his teammates. "Don't underestimate him, because believe me he isn't underestimating you."

"Huh? Well, now I feel flattered," Kagami grinned as they walked over to the line up. As the teams stared at each other, Tetsumi could already feel the tension. Shutoku didn't want to even imagine themselves losing to Seirin, the new up and comer. And Seirin, of course, had something to prove. The two teams bowed to one another, wishing each other a good game before they prepared for the tip-off.

Otsubo, Shutoku's center, came to one side of the half line and Kagami stood on the other. Tetsumi's eyes went to the tall center of Shutoku; he was brawny and obviously powerful. Even though they too had played a game before this one, Shutoku looked fired up. Tetsumi also recalled that they only faced a team that was middle tier, if they faced a team like Seiho they'd probably be wiped out too.

With a single blink, Tetsumi saw the referee toss the ball into the air. Kagami and Otsubo both jumped for the ball, but Otsubo was able to knock it to Takao. Tetsumi looked at the point guard as he held to the ball defensively as Izuki marked him. Takao dribbled the ball and broke past Izuki and passed the ball over to the blond wearing the number 8 jersey: Miyaji Kiyoshi. When he caught the ball he took a two point shot, and Tetsumi grabbed the ball, passing it into Izuki.

"Get open!" Izuki shouted to his team. Hyuga ran from around his defender and opened up. The eagle-eyed player quickly went to pass the ball, but Shutoku's number 5 went in to block it. Tetsumi caught the ball and passed it over her shoulder, going over Kimura.

"What the hell?" he growled, looking at Tetsumi who jogged off towards the hoop as Hyuga went in for a three. When it sank in the crowd erupted into cheers.

"Let's get them back!" Otsubo commanded as he passed the ball into Takao, who scanned the court. He smirked and charged through Seirin, but was stopped when Mitobe cut into his path. The point guard skidded to a halt and quickly passed the ball to Otsubo. The massive center leaped into the air and slammed the ball right into the hoop. Tetsumi started jogging back down the court and felt a slight tinge in her knee. She was cursing inwardly for having practiced too much the other evening.

"This is evenly matched," Hyuga sighed as he ran along side Tetsumi. "This is going to be a long game."

"Hang in there, captain," Tetsumi said with a smile as she clapped him on the shoulder. She watched as Izuki did a lay-up, and Takao caught the ball. "Oh no," she breathed as she watched Midorima was wide open to catch a pass. Takao looked at the green haired shooter and passed the ball to Midorima. When he caught the ball, Midorima turned around and ran to the three-point line. Tetsumi cursed as she watched Midorima score a completely uncontested three-point shot.

"Well, looks like the pace is being set," Izuki sighed as he shook his head when Midorima's three landed beautiful through the hoop. "Nice shot, huh?" he asked, looking to Hyuga, who let his head fall between his shoulders. They all knew it wouldn't be an easy game, but they weren't expecting it to be a constant switch of leads every time the other team had possession.

"Kagami-kun, get to our side," Tetsumi commanded as she raced down the court. The redhead watched her go and nodded as he spun around on his heels. Right when he got on the other side of the three-point line, the ball whizzed clear across the court and into his hand.

Kagami flinched a bit, not expecting Tetsumi to have such a powerful pass. Of course, she needed it to get clear across the court, so it needed quite a bit of power. He jumped up and slammed the ball into the hoop, the crowds erupting in cheers and claps. Midorima's eyes widened and he looked back at Tetsumi as she rolled her wrist around. A smirk came onto her lips, and Midorima narrowed his eyes at her.

"The games just getting started, Rima-kun," she said as she walked towards him; sweat starting to bead on her forehead. "You said you wanted to face me at my best, so here it is."

"Indeed," Midorima replied, pushing his glasses up. Tetsumi nodded to him and ran around him, joining up with her team as they prepared to defend their hoop. "We need to shut them down."

"Way ahead of you, Shin-chan," Takao replied as he followed after Tetsumi.

Midorima jogged after his teammate and watched as Seirin defended the hoop. Miyaji was in possession of the ball and the shot clock was in the single digits. Takao broke around Izuki and called out to Miyaji. The blond passed the ball, and Takao took a shot. It bounced off the glass and fell in through the hoop. Hyuga caught the ball and passed it in to Kagami, who dribbled it back down the court. He picked up the pace and went to dunk it in, but was blocked by Midorima.

"You've got to be kidding," Hyuga sighed as the two landed back on the ground. Midorima quickly scooped up the ball and passed it around Kagami. Kimura caught the ball dribbled it down the court, but was blocked by Mitobe. He quickly did a bounce pass over to Takao, who caught the ball and took a bank shot. The crowds cheered for Shutoku, and Hyuga wiped the sweat from his face with his jersey. "We're so evenly matched this might come down to who can score faster before long."

"Then we should take control," Tetsumi said to her captain with a smile. "I think it's time for some run-and-gun play, wouldn't you say?"

"I'm beat, but looks like we have no choice," Hyuga replied with a smirk and nodded to the girl. She gave him a thumbs up and looked to Kagami and Izuki, who had heard the conversation. They both nodded in agreement, and Mitobe silently gave his compliance with a determined nod. "Let's get them!"

Six minutes into the game, it was time for one of the teams to take control. Seirin seemed pretty amped up, but Midorima planned on shutting them down before they caught their stride. He looked over to Takao, who rolled his shoulder around and walked up beside him. The green haired teen didn't say a single word; his eyes were just fixed on Kagami. There was something about the redhead that made Midorima curious. He felt like Kagami had more to offer than what he was showing.

"Catch my pass," Tetsumi said to Kagami, and he nodded as she got into position between the arc and the pocket of the three-point line. Shutoku had the ball and were heading back to their side, but Tetsumi came up behind Miyaji. She knocked the ball from his hold. The blond cursed and watched as Mitobe scooped up the ball and passed it back to Tetsumi.

"Get it back!" Otsubo shouted to his teammates as they started blocking Seirin, so they couldn't make their shot. Kagami ran to the hoop to get a rebound while Otsubo and Miyaji stayed on him. His scarlet eyes landed on Tetsumi as she passed the ball to Hyuga. He was position at the top of the arc, but Midorima got in front of him. With a windmill like pass, Hyuga passed the ball to Tetsumi over in the left side pocket. She caught the ball and held it for a moment as Kimura tried to block her from shooting.

"Kagami-kun!" Tetsumi shouted as she faked an over the head pass. Kimura jumped to block her, but she slipped past him, bouncing the ball on the ground. When the ball hit the ground it had a low bounce right into Kagami's hand. Miyaji and Otsubo both went to block him, but Kagami slammed it in with ease and landed back on the ground. "Nice," she congratulated Kagami as they started going back down the court.

"Let's keep it up," Hyuga said as he ran past the two when Shutoku started coming down to score again.

Midorima had the ball, but Kagami quickly turned around and watched him. Midorima stopped a step after the half line and shot the ball with ease. Kagami jumped, but was unable to stop the ball. Everyone watched, as the ball slowly made it's decent towards the hoop. When it fell in, Tetsumi shook her head.

"Unbelievable," Izuki commented as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He caught the ball as Tetsumi passed it in, and looked around the playing field. Shutoku had upped their defense after they had managed to steal the ball from them. Out of the corner of his eye, Izuki spotted Tetsumi and quickly passed to her. The moment the ball was in her hands, she did a small step back to avoid Kimura and made a teardrop shot. The ball arc high but went straight into the hoop and the crowds roared with cheers of excitement.

"Where did she even come from?" Kimura grumbled. He didn't even notice she was there until it was too late. He shook his head and dribbled the ball back down the court. Kimura was about to go for a pass, but Tetsumi deflected the hit and passed it over to Mitobe. The silent Seirin played raced back down the court, but was met by Otsubo. Mitobe turned his body and dribbled a few times scoring another point for Seirin with a hook shot.

"Kimura, stay on her!" Miyaji shouted, getting annoyed that they were losing control to Seirin.

"She comes out from nowhere," Kimura explained as they raced down the court. Miyaji caught the ball when Otsubo passed it in and turned. He passed the ball to Midorima at the half line and right as he was about to take the shot, Kagami blocked him. Midorima narrowed his eyes and dribbled the ball a few times before passing it over to Kimura, who ran by him.

Tetsumi smirked as she stood in the paint, waiting for Midorima to make his three. He knew she could make that pass and if Kagami was at the half line, he would without a doubt run back to the other end to make a dunk on her fast break. With Seirin with a four-point lead, Midorima didn't want to risk making it a six-point lead.

* * *

-###-

* * *

"She always was a smart one," Nijimura commented as he walked up to Akashi Seijuro, standing quietly at the top of the stadium. The two previous captains of Teiko both had their eyes fixed on the match as Shutoku managed to score. Akashi smirked and looked to Nijimura. "And now, you lead Rakuzan."

"Shuzo," Akashi greeted with a slight nod, and Nijimura raised a brow. Tetsumi had been right Akashi was different. He had always radiated being excellent, but now him emanated ruthlessness. "You no longer play basketball?" he asked, noticing that he wasn't wearing a team jacket.

"Not competitively," Nijimura replied as he leaned his back against the wall across from Akashi. There were roughly three steps of space between them, and Nijimura had his hands stuffed into the pockets of his beige colored pants. "My father passed away, so I have to work as much as possible."

Akashi turned around and looked at his former captain. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Nijimura shrugged his shoulders and pushed off the wall. "Shrimp's worried about you," the older teen stated as he walked up to Akashi and stood beside him. He looked at the redhead's eyes and raised a brow, realizing they weren't the same color anymore.

"She has nothing to worry about," Akashi assured him, dismissing the matter quickly. Nijimura chortled, but decided not to press the matter. He learned a long time ago that if Akashi didn't want to talk about something he wasn't going to do it. There was no force in heaven or on earth that would get him to speak. "I will agree with you though, Tetsumi has always been a clever girl."

Nijimura smirked as he looked back onto the court, seeing that Tetsumi was in possession of the ball. She was dribbling defensively, searching for an opening. Unfortunately, Shutoku's players tied up her team. Midorima stood before her, and she lowered herself before cutting around him and driving straight to the net. She bounced the ball off the glass and scored another point.

"She's not using her Bullet Drive," Nijimura noted, seeing she was being slower than usual when she drove to the basket. He assumed that she either didn't want to use it yet, or she couldn't use it.

"Her knee is bothering her," Akashi explained as he leaned on the rail. "She won't last the entire game."

* * *

-###-

* * *

The first quarter had come to a close with the score of 22 to 19, Seirin being in the lead. Coach Nakatani of Shutoku looked over at Tetsumi and pursed his lips. As it was, Tetsumi didn't do much to bring any attention to herself. Out of the whole team, she was probably the hardest to predict. One minute she was making impressive passes, the next she was invincible and suddenly cutting through the team to make a shot. While it was most subconscious, most of the Shutoku members probably didn't think much of her merely because she was a girl. And by the looks of it, Tetsumi exploited that. She had been able to shake Kimura very easily and it was a bit frustrating to everyone.

Coach Nakatani looked back to his team as they drank water and rested quietly on the bench. He licked his lips and looked to Takao, who was sitting next to Midorima. With his unstoppable hawk eye abilities, Takao would easily be able to keep up with Tetsumi. He was fast and agile, probably on the same level as Tetsumi. Coach Nakatani also noticed that the girl had been favoring her leg, it was barely noticeable, but she wasn't putting much weight on it at all. This information was be crucial to putting them back in the lead during the second quarter. If Takao could shut Tetsumi down to keep her from passing, Midorima could go back to taking his threes.

"Keep playing as you are," Coach Nakatani said, and his team looked up at him. "Takao, Kimura switch marks. Number 11 isn't invisible; she's just good at breaking free from your attention. I don't want her to make another pass, clear?" Coach Nakatani asked looking directly at Takao.

"Yes sir," Takao replied firmly and looked over at Seirin's bench. He smirked when he saw Tetsumi look over at him. "I can see how she played with you back in middle school," Takao commented, turning his attention to Midorima as he opened up a water bottle.

"I told you before," Midorima began as he took a quick sip of his water. "Tetsumi-chan isn't easy to read. She constantly changes her style of play based on her opponents. While her passing abilities are probably one of the best in the league, her shooting and steals are note worthy as well."

"You know, you sound almost star struck," Takao teased, earning a hit on the back of the head by Midorima's bottle. "Ouch! That's not very nice, Shin-chan!"

"If anyone is going to shut her down, it'll be you," Midorima explained, and Takao's mouth fell open. He almost didn't believe that a compliment—albeit indirect—came out of Midorima Shintaro's mouth. "If you fail though, you'll pull the cart for the rest of the school year."

"And he's back," Takao muttered with an eye roll. The referee blew his whistle, alerting everyone the two-minute break was over. As the teams got back onto the court, Takao jogged up to Tetsumi and stood in front of her. They were in position on the court, and she raised a brow. "I'm looking forward to this, Tetsumi-chan," Takao said with a smirk.

"You have some impressive skills, Takao-kun," Tetsumi replied. Her eyes drifted over to Otsubo, who had the ball in his hands. "But I won't lose to you."

"Hey, hey now, that's my line," Takao said with a chuckle, and Tetsumi rolled her eyes laughing lightly. "Passing is something we have in common, and that kind of makes me hate you."

"I guess in a sense, Rima-kun just couldn't survive without me," Tetsumi teased, and Takao raised a brow. "I mean you're a copy. I'm the original."

Takao glared at her. "Snarky, aren't you." Otsubo passed the ball and Takao quickly caught it just before Tetsumi could steal it. He wrapped the ball around his back and passed it off to Miyaji, who broke free from Hyuga. When the blond scored the shot, Takao smiled and looked back to Tetsumi. "You ready to go?" he asked, wiggling his brows a bit.

Tetsumi clapped her hand slightly and nodded her head. She had to admit it Takao was an interesting guy. His moves were seamless, he was quick on his feet, and his passing was definitely a threat. Her eyes drifted to Midorima, who was being marked by Kagami. It all made sense now why Midorima liked Takao so much. He may not have admitted it out loud, but having someone like Takao or herself on a team was a true trump card.

"Fancy moves," Tetsumi complimented Takao, and he chuckled a bit. "Wanna see mine?"

Izuki passed her the ball and she raced down the court. Takao followed after her, and managed to cut her off. She swiftly did a bounce pass over to Mitobe right when he passed them by. When the silent player had the ball he tossed the ball up towards the hoop and Kagami jumped into the air, sinking it with a powerful dunk.

"I see your fancy move, and I raise you two more," Takao joked, and Tetsumi raised a curious brow at him. He caught the ball when Miyaji passed it in. The girl darted after him, feeling the pain in her knee starting to increase. She did her best to ignore it and tried to block a pass as Takao passed it over to Kimura. When he had the ball he did a crossover, breaking a little distance between himself and Izuki. When he saw his opening he passed the ball back to Takao, who passed the ball around his back, handing it off to Otsubo who dunked it in dodging both Hyuga and Mitobe's blocks. "You taking notes, Tetsumi-chan?" Takao laughed as he jogged up to her.

"Maybe a few," she retorted.

"Tetsumi!" Hyuga called out as he passed the ball. Tetsumi turned and lifted her hand to push the ball over to Mitobe, who was open. Just when she was about to strike the ball, Takao swooped in and knocked the ball out of her reach. Tetsumi's eyes went wide as Takao stole her pass and ran to the hoop, putting Shutoku in the lead. "She missed the pass?" Hyuga asked in disbelief.

"No way," Kagami commented with a shake of his head. "She never misses her passes."

"It was Takao," Izuki said as he walked up, staring at Shutoku's point guard as he jogged back around. "He's like me…no, his field of vision is even better."

"What are you saying?" Kagami asked, looking at Izuki.

"I'm saying while I can see part of the court," he paused and looked to Hyuga and Kagami, "Takao can see the whole damn thing."

"So you're saying, Munchkin's shut down?" Kagami inquired, slightly worried. It was not the time for them to be shut down. Tetsumi's ball movement was key to a lot of their plays. If she couldn't move the ball around, there was a good chance they would struggle the next half of the game.

"I'm saying her passing will be as long as Takao is marking her," Izuki explained and looked over to Tetsumi, who was staring at Takao slightly annoyed.

"And here I thought we could be friends," Tetsumi said sarcastically to Takao, who chuckled.

"Well, friends are supposed to challenge each other right?" he asked just as the game started again. Kimura passed the ball in and Takao went for it, he took hold of the ball and Tetsumi went after him. When she got in front of him, Takao laughed lightly and passed the ball behind his back not taking his eyes off of Tetsumi for a second. Midorima had the ball and quickly shot a three pointer before Kagami could stop him. "Take away your passing and invisibility and you become pretty useless don't you?"

"Takao!" Midorima scolded.

"It's fine, Rima-kun," Tetsumi interrupted, and Takao looked away from Midorima. His stormy eyes fell onto Tetsumi as she tightened up her ponytail. "Passing might very well be my strongest point, but it's not the only thing I can do. I won't go down without a fight, so prepare yourself."

"Challenge accepted, Tetsumi-chan," Takao said with a smile on his face.

She nodded to him and looked back to Midorima. "You told me once that you'd prove to me why making threes was better than dunking or any other shot. Was that just a bluff? Cause I'm calling it."

Midorima raised a brow at the girl and smirked. He pushed his glasses up and glanced to Takao, who nodded in understanding. "Allow me to prove that it wasn't merely a bluff," Midorima said to Tetsumi as Shutoku was put in possession of the ball. Before any of the members of Seirin had time to think, Midorima stood just behind the half line and took a shot. Everyone watched as the ball spun perfectly and went straight through the net. Midorima had moved to the three-point line to intercept Kagami if he had planned on making a dunk off of Tetsumi's fast break.

"Well this is just ridiculous," Hyuga huffed, feeling very out of breath. "He's three steps further than he was the first time."

Tetsumi narrowed her eyes and stared at Midorima as he looked back at her. "His range…" Tetsumi muttered and shook her head. "It's gotten better."

"Hey, come on, get it together," Kagami said as he caught the ball when Izuki passed it in. He raced down the court with the rest of his team following. Midorima stood just inside of the three-point line, prepared to block Kagami. "You're strong, but Seirin's stronger."

Midorima scoffed. "You won't beat me."

"Not alone, but with them," Kagami nodded back towards his team. "I will." He got into a shooting form and Midorima's eyes widened. The redhead took a three point shot and Midorima blinked a few times as he watched the ball arc. When he looked back down, Kagami rushed pass him to the hoop.

"Well he's an unorthodox player," Midorima snorted as Kagami dunked the ball in when it bounced off the rim. Otsubo stumbled back and cursed when Kagami landed on the ground and looked back at Midorima. When the redhead walked back, Midorima chuckled and walked over to the baseline. Otsubo handed the ace shooter the ball, and Midorima got into shooting form.

"No…freaking…way," Tetsumi breathed as Midorima shot the ball from one end of the court to the other. Everyone held their breaths as the ball hung in the air; slowly making it's way to the other hoop. When it fell through the net their was a loud snap from the net. "His range is the whole court?"


	27. JUMP

**Author's Note: **Hi everyone! Thank you all for your lovely comments on the previous chapter, I hope the ending of the game will meet all of your expectations. Also, a lot of people have asked for Aomine and Kagami to get into it over Tetsumi...well, those wheels have been set in motion. Thank you all so much for your continued support! Please enjoy the chapter, and I apologize for typos and grammar errors feel free to point them out and I shall correct them.

* * *

**JUMP**

As if Takao wasn't trouble enough, it appeared that Midorima had upped his game. By the end of the second quarter, Shutoku had a fifteen-point lead on Seirin. They had effectively shut Seirin down. Takao had a full view of the court and then Midorima could shoot from anywhere on the court. Needless to say, Seirin was at a lost. Shutoku had a deadly duo out of Takao and Midorima. The thought made Tetsumi chuckle a bit as she sat on the bench. She ran her fingers through her hair and wrapped it around her fingers into a messy bun.

"Your former teammate is ridiculous," Hyuga said, looking to Tetsumi. She looked back at him and nodded her head in agreement. The farthest she'd ever seen him shoot was the half court line. Knowing that he'd extended his range to the entire court was emotionally and mentally damaging. She could only imagine how everyone else on the team felt after seeing that. "So, Coach, got a plan yet?" Hyuga asked, looking to Riko as she paced back and forth in front of the dry erase board in the locker room.

"I'm thinking," Riko explained as she continued pacing with a pen in her mouth. "Tetsumi-chan, has Midorima-kun always been able to do that?" The coach had stopped pacing and looked at the blue haired girl.

"No," Tetsumi replied softly. "He's really something…and Takao…I don't like him."

"Well you two seem pretty chummy on the court," Izuki teased with a laugh as he unpeeled a banana.

"That's just sarcasm, but he's not bad," Tetsumi said with a shrug of her shoulders. She grabbed a water bottle and noticed that Kagami had been awfully quiet. Her eyes drifted over to him as he sat at the end of the bench with a towel covering his head. Tetsumi scooted over to him and bumped his shoulder. Kagami lifted his head and looked at her. "You okay?" Tetsumi asked him.

"Are you kidding?" He asked with a smile, causing Tetsumi to raise a brow. "I'm so pumped right now." She stifled a laugh and shook her head. Aomine was the same way when Midorima started shooting from the half court line. He got so pumped, trying to figure out a way to stop Midorima's shots.

"Do you have a plan?" Tetsumi asked him.

"Not yet, but I will stop him," Kagami assured her and pulled the towel from his head. He stood up and Tetsumi watched him as he looked over the team. "Look, we kept up with them. We can stop them, I'm not sure how yet," he paused and looked down at Tetsumi, who smiled up at him, "but giving up now is not an option."

"Who said anything about giving up?" Hyuga barked, throwing an empty water bottle at Kagami. The redhead dodged it and laughed, but Hyuga threw another one, which hit him in the head. "While I hate to admit it, he's right. I think we keep going as we are." Hyuga looked over to Riko for approval, and she smiled at him.

"I think that's a good idea," Riko agreed with a nod. "Can you handle Takao-kun, Tetsumi-chan?" she asked, looking at Tetsumi as she stood up beside Kagami. He put his hand on Tetsumi's head and ruffled up her hair. She waved his hand away and sighed as she fixed her hair up. Between Nijimura and Kagami, she was sure her hair was never going to stay in place.

"I'm not about to let this guy show me up, " Tetsumi said, jutting a thumb back towards Kagami. The redhead smirked and looked back to the team as they all smiled. "I'll handle, Takao-kun. And if we start losing there's always a chance of a meteor hitting Shutoku's bench."

The whole team stared at Tetsumi blankly.

"It could happen," Izuki chirped.

"That's not going to happen!" Hyuga scolded, jumping up from the bench. "Just don't lose focus, we still have twenty minutes of game time. We can catch up."

Everyone let out a cry of agreement before filing out of the locker room. When they got outside, Kagami put a hand on Tetsumi's shoulder and she looked up at him. There was something different about him. She wasn't quite sure what it was yet, maybe it was his sheer determination to win, or his excitement of going against Midorima. When Kagami's scarlet eyes locked with hers he wore a devilish grin, and Tetsumi furrowed her brows.

"I'll beat him," Kagami assured her. "I'll beat Shutoku." He let go of her shoulder and continued on his way, leaving Tetsumi feeling a bit worried about his words. The tone of his voice and the look on his face were discerning.

* * *

-###-

* * *

As Tetsumi had feared there was something different about Kagami. He was becoming like them. She had already watched five of her friends change, and she refused to let it happen again. Half way through the third quarter Kagami seemed to have finally awakened his ability to jump. It was amazing to see, but Tetsumi feared the effects. When Kagami finally successfully blocked Midorima's shot, his ego grew and he became proud. Tetsumi shook her head as she watched Kagami shut Midorima down. The look in his scarlet eyes were filled with raw animalistic power.

"The gap is finally closing," Riko commented as she looked to the electronic score board. Shutoku was only leading by a small margin and there was only two minutes left in the quarter. Tetsumi looked at Kagami and sighed softly as she pulled off her t-shirt. "What are you doing?"

"Switch me in," Tetsumi said. She had seen enough the past eight minutes. If she didn't intervene she feared the effects it would have on Kagami. When she was in the hospital, her entire team at Teiko changed. She didn't know about it, but she saw the results. Seirin was a team, they relied on one another, and right now Kagami was going down the wrong path. Originally, Tetsumi didn't want to pull out her signature drive, but she had to bring Kagami back down to Earth.

"What? Takao will shut you down the moment you're on the court," Riko pointed out as she stood up and shook her head.

"If we don't get Kagami-kun to level his head of hot air, he'll end up hurting himself and the team. There is still another quarter, and I really don't want to watch him do this to himself," Tetsumi explained and Riko furrowed her brows, slightly confused about what Tetsumi was going on about. The freshmen on the bench all watched as the two girls talked, looking a bit worried when Tetsumi mentioned Kagami would hurt himself. "Riko, trust me. Kagami-kun is going to hurt himself, and I really can't just sit here and let it happen. He is my teammate, but he's my friend first and I care about that more."

Riko stared at Tetsumi, and sighed softly as she looked back out onto the court. Shutoku had the ball and Takao passed it to Otsubo. Both Hyuga and Mitobe were blocking him, but his power proved to be to great for them. Just when he was about to dunk the ball into the hoop, Kagami ran up at full speed and slapped the ball out of his hand. The second they hit the ground, the referee charged Kagami with a foul.

"He really is a hot head," Riko grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest.

"He can't help it," Tetsumi said with a small laugh. "He wants to win, but he won't win this way. So switch me in, so I can straighten him out." She looked at her coach, and smiled warmly as Riko started nodding her head.

"Seirin! Member change!" the referee announced and everyone turned to see Tetsumi walking onto the court. She smiled at Koganei and he nodded his head. As he walked over to her, Tetsumi winked at him and gave him a high five as she got crossed over the boundary line.

Kagami looked at her and smiled as she came over to him. "You come up with a plan?"

"Yeah, I got one," she said, which wasn't an exact lie. Her Bullet Drive would be able to stop Takao. Even if he could find her and even if he was fast, her drive was raw speed and agility. It was only good for a few uses and the range on it was pretty short. Normally, Tetsumi used this move with a good defense. If other players got in her way, her drive could be shut down. Midorima knew that, so she had to make sure Kagami could defend him. "Don't let Midorima through, okay?" she asked as she tightened her ponytail.

"What are you going to do?" Kagami asked.

"I'm going to shake Takao, then we'll handle Midorima," Tetsumi said.

"I can—"

"No, you can't," Tetsumi interrupted the redhead harshly. "This is a team Kagami-kun, so act like it." The redhead narrowed his eyes at her as she walked away. He let out a breath and shook it off; he couldn't afford to get upset. Midorima already had his blood boiling with those amazing three pointers.

Izuki was passing in the ball in and passed it to Hyuga, who dribbled back down to their end of the court. Tetsumi let out a breath and looked to Takao, who was standing in front of her. She quickly spun around him quickly, breaking free from him. Takao stumbled a bit, taken aback by Tetsumi's speed. She called out to Hyuga, who passed the ball around Miyaji. When the ball was in her hands, Tetsumi dribbled the ball at a faster rate.

Midorima's eyes fell on her and he quickly figured out she was going to use her Bullet Drive. He was about to run in and stop her, but Kagami blocked his path. Narrowing his eyes, Midorima tried to get around Kagami, but he failed. By this point it was too late to stop Tetsumi, once he bullet drive began it was nearly impossible to stop unless someone could rip the ball from her.

Tetsumi dribbled the ball between her legs, causing Miyaji to become confused with what she was going to do. When Tetsumi locked eyes with Miyaji, she quickly pulled the ball into her chest and spun around rapidly, driving straight for the base line. She jumped up and tossed the ball up. It fell into the hoop and she landed, feeling a sharp pain in her knee. Tetsumi grimaced and stumbled a bit, but quickly corrected herself.

Midorima saw her stumble and as she turned around he stared at her. Tetsumi brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. When she started walking passed him, Midorima gently grabbed her upper arm. He let it go quickly, so that no one saw. Tetsumi glanced at him and swallowed hard.

"Don't do that again, Tetsumi," he said harshly, glancing to her leg.

"Let me worry about me, okay?" Tetsumi shot back at him as she jogged off. The pain wasn't there anymore, so she assumed it was just from the pressure of landing.

Midorima sighed softly and shook his head. He wanted Tetsumi to play as hard as she could, but not if it meant she re-injured her leg. A little over a year of time had passed since her full recovery, but the doctors had mentioned that her leg probably wouldn't be able to handle excessive stress in competitive sports.

"Was it just me or did she stumble?" Takao asked as he walked up, wiping the sweat from his brow as he watched Tetsumi.

"It was just you," Midorima lied as he walked back towards the half line where Seirin was waiting to defend. Miyaji passed the ball into Kimura, who took it up the court and passed it to Midorima. He was just past the half court line as he prepared to make a shot, but Kagami rushed over to him and jumped high. Midorima's eyes widened in surprise as Kagami had once again got the ball from his hands.

Hyuga quickly snatched the ball up and raced back down the court, stopping at the three point line and sunk it perfectly. The game was officially tied now, and Tetsumi sighed in relief. Her eyes drifted over to the clock, there was only ten seconds left in the quarter. They couldn't let Shutoku make another point; they had to defend at all cost.

"They'll pass to Rima-kun," Tetsumi said, looking to Kagami who was standing a few steps in front of her. "They'll have him shoot just to hurt the morale."

"I'm the only one who can stop him," Kagami said, turning to look back at Tetsumi. She sighed and walked up to Kagami. "What's wrong?" he asked her with a raised brow.

"You can't win this game alone, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi scolded. "You may block Rima-kun, but it's the rest of us who get the point. And we can't do that unless you block him. Do you get what I'm saying?"

Kagami stared at her and remained silent, causing Tetsumi to rolled her eyes.

"If we don't have you, we can't stop Rima-kun's threes," Tetsumi explained and Kagami nodded his head in understanding. "But what good is your blocking if we can't capitalize on the steal? You need us and we need you. This isn't a one-man show, all right? A victory in solitude is no victory," Tetsumi smiled at Kagami, hoping that she had finally gotten through his thick head.

"You're right," Kagami said, and Tetsumi laughed lightly and playfully hit him in the stomach. The redhead grabbed her hand and pulled her forward. Tetsumi placed her hands on his body to keep from crashing into him. A small blush came onto her cheeks, but anyone could mistake it from having been running around the court. Kagami let go of her hand and rubbed the back of his neck. Tetsumi bit her lip and looked up at him. "Let's beat these guys, together."

"Yeah, let's do it," she agreed with a smile and looked back at Midorima as he stood at the half line.

* * *

-###-

* * *

The game had jumped back and forth between Shutoku and Seirin. It was officially crunch time with only twenty-five seconds left in the game. Tetsumi panted lightly as she sat down the bench looking to the Shutoku bench. They had just used their last time out and now it was just a matter of time. Kagami was beat, he couldn't jump anymore and if he did he risked injuring his legs. Tetsumi had already gotten on him three times for it, but Kagami swore he could handle it. At the moment though, she felt like she should probably be taking her own advice. Tetsumi tightened the brace around her knee and stretched it out a bit. There was a dull pain, but she would push through it. Something in her gut told her that she had to play for those last twenty-five seconds.

Riko told Kagami that he shouldn't jump again even if he thought he could. She looked at his legs they were filled with tension. If he jumped one more time there was a chance he'd tear his muscle and be useless for the next game if they won. Riko could tell with her scan ability that Kagami was running on fumes.

"We can't risk overtime, so we have to shut this down quick," Riko explained, ripping her eyes from Kagami.

"Coach if we go into overtime we might die like literally die," Izuki chimed in, wiping his face with a towel and squirted some water into his mouth. Riko nodded her head, understanding that everyone on the team was beat especially the second years.

"Hold the ball as long as you can, don't give them any room to make a counter. The shot clock is on our side, use it," Riko explained to them and everyone nodded in agreement. She looked at Tetsumi, who was still bending and unbending her knee. "Are you okay, Tetsumi-chan?" she asked, slightly worried. The last quarter, Tetsumi had been keeping a low profile, strictly passing the ball and keep Takao preoccupied.

"Yeah, don't worry about me," Tetsumi said, waving the matter off with a smile on her face. She hoped it was convincing enough, but her team knew about her injury and they were also aware she couldn't handle excessive use of it. "Let's just finish this." She stood up from the bench just as the referee declared that the time out was over.

"Munchkin," Kagami called before she wandered off onto the court. When she turned around, Kagami placed a hand on her head and Tetsumi sighed. "If your leg and knee are hurting, you should sit out."

"No way," Tetsumi replied with a single shake of her head. "I'm gonna see this through to the end."

"Well you can do that on the bench," Kagami said, and Tetsumi glared at him. "Hey if you can bust my chops, I'm gonna do the same to you."

"I just don't want you to get hurt for stupid reasons," Tetsumi grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, same here," Kagami shot back. Tetsumi let her arms fall to her side and smiled at Kagami. He looked at her as well and quickly turned away. "I'll trust your judgment though."

Tetsumi nodded to Kagami and mouthed a thank you. Her leg was hurting, but twenty-five seconds was still a long time. She glanced over to Shutoku as they entered the court, looking ready to fight until the bitter end. One mistake could cost either team the game. Seirin would have to tread carefully, because Shutoku would try everything to keep them making a shot and would most certainly try to steal the ball. Tetsumi looked at Takao, who had his stormy eyes locked onto her. She licked her lip, tasting the saltiness of her sweat and narrowed her eyes at the point guard.

His eyes may have seen everything on the court, but it wouldn't matter if they could hold the ball long enough and make a shot. The game was tied, so both teams were going to have to be careful. Riko couldn't have stressed it enough and the Shutoku coach probably did the same for his team. The referee blew his whistle and everyone got ready as Izuki held the ball in his hand, scanning the area. He had to throw it to some wide open otherwise Shutoku could potentially steal the ball and end the game in their favor.

Izuki looked to Mitobe as he ran from around Otsubo and held his hand open. He tossed the ball in and Mitobe caught it, making his way towards the three point line. He held the ball, dribbling it defensively as Otsubo blocked against him. The clock was quickly ticking away, only fifteen seconds left. Mitobe prepared to pass the ball to Hyuga, but as he did Takao zipped in and slapped the ball downwards. The crowd erupted into cheers and shouts as Takao scooped up the ball and ran down to the half line, passing it off to Midorima. Izuki cursed as he swiped at the ball, missing it by a mere inch. When Midorima got the ball he turned around and prepared to make a three point shot from just inside the half line.

"Eight seconds!" Hyuga shouted loudly. "Don't let him shoot!"

Midorima leapt into the air. He pulled his arms back slightly, creating the position to make a perfect arc. Just as he started to lose height, he shot the ball. Unfortunately, Kagami jumped in front of him, his middle finger bumping the ball just enough to through off its path. When Midorima landed on the ground, Kagami landed beside him. Both players watched as the ball went towards the hoop.

The ball hit the hoop.

It started rolling around slowly, but it fell towards the ground.

Midorima's eyes widened in complete and utter shock. He turned his attention to Kagami, angered and annoyed that he had managed to mess up what should have been a perfect shot.

"Four seconds!" Kagami shouted, and Midorima gasped when he spotted Tetsumi catching the ball. Takao was on her, but she charged down the court at incredible speeds. "Go!" Kagami urged as Tetsumi and Takao darted passed them in a blur.

Tetsumi begged her legs to give her that burst of speed. Takao finally managed to get around her and held his arms out. She took in a sharp breath pulled the ball close to her chest and did her tornado spin. Takao stumbled back nearly falling to the ground at her impressive speed. Miyaji came in next, but he couldn't get close as Tetsumi ripped passed in the blink of an eye.

Just as Tetsumi reached the three point line, she leapt into the air and shot the ball. It spiraled towards the hoop and just as it went in the buzzer sounded. The points on the electronic board flipped to 97 Shutoku and 100 Seirin.

"We did it! We won!" Hyuga shouted from the left of Tetsumi. "That was amazing, Tetsumi-chan!" he declared as he walked over to her.

The girl laughed, feeling a tingling pain in her leg. She didn't want to move from her spot and tried to play it off as shock that she'd managed to make the shot. Tetsumi was beaming though and raised both hands up into the air. Her eyes went over to the Seirin bench as they jumped and cheered, running onto the court. Izuki and Mitobe ran over to Hyuga and Tetsumi, tackling her with big bear hugs. Tetsumi laughed loudly and hugged them all back. When the rest of the team arrived, Tetsumi turned around and saw Kagami running over to them.

He picked her off of the ground, hugging her tight and spun her around. Tetsumi squealed and placed her hands on his shoulders as he nearly threw her. She laughed when he lowered her slightly, so she could wrap her arms around his neck. He spun her around one more time and placed her down on the ground. Tetsumi laughed and patted Kagami's muscled chest.

"That was so damn cool!" Kagami exclaimed as he ruffled up Tetsumi's hair. She rolled her eyes and pulled her ponytail free, knowing it would only get more messed up. "Great job, Munchkin! You did it!" He slung an arm around her shoulder and pulled her towards the rest of their team as they continued to cheer and laugh over their victory.

Midorima stood in the middle of the court, watching Seirin celebrate their victory. He grimaced a bit and looked down at the ground, pushing his glasses up. Takao came up beside him and sighed dejectedly. His gray eyes looked over at the rest of the Shutoku team as they looked down at the ground. Seirin had won and it was one hell of an ending shot that the girl had made.

"It's unfortunate," Takao commented as he placed his hands on his hips and shook his head. "It's alright, Shin-chan. Even Oha Asa has to be wrong sometimes."

"Don't be ridiculous," Midorima scolded the point guard.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Aomine walked through the crowd of people as they all left the stadium. The moon above poured silver light onto the area. Momoi, Kise, and Kasamatsu were chatting away about how amazing Tetsumi had been at the end. That buzzer beater three she had landed was undeniably amazing, he could only imagine Midorima was kicking himself. What was even more impressive was that Tetsumi had gone full force on her Bullet Drive. The way she cut back across the court and did her signature spin move the tornado spin. It got him all hyped up to see a move like that. That combination was the Tetsumi he remembered on the Teiko team.

He wanted to go and congratulate her on beating Midorima, but he decided against it. After having watched her team celebrating, he assumed she would have time to go elsewhere or even talk to him. Especially when he watched that redhead on her team lift her up and spin her around. It made his blood boil, but then he started to wonder if Tetsumi wanted to be with him. The way she had kissed him earlier that afternoon, Aomine would assume she really liked him. When he saw her smiling and laughing with that redhead though, it made him wonder.

"Hello! Dai-chan!" Momoi called out, tugging on his shirt.

"Stop calling me that," Aomine grumbled as he looked down at Momoi, who only chuckled.

"Momoicchi, Aominecchi," Kise began, breaking the two up before they could get into one of their little squabbles. "Next time we see each other, we'll be rivals. Unless Tetsucchi and Kagamicchi beat you before I get the chance too."

"Kagamicchi?" Aomine repeated. "Please, don't insult me."

"He's good, Aominecchi," Kise warned, but Aomine only snickered and waved the issue off. He had witnessed what Kagami could do, he had potential that was for sure. However, Aomine knew he could beat him even if he had Tetsumi as his shadow. Kagami just wasn't good enough, he was a strong enough light for Tetsumi. "Anyways, we'll see you on the courts." Kise smiled and looked to his captain, who nodded in agreement.

"Practice hard, Ki-chan! Kasamatsu-san!" Momoi said in a sing-song voice as the two Kaijo players went off in another direction. "Should we go find Midorin? Or Tetsumi-chan?"

"No, Midorima will certainly be in his sullen grouchy mood and," Aomine paused thinking about Tetsumi for a few short moments, "Shorty probably wants to celebrate with her team. Let's just go, I'll take you home." He nodded towards the direction of the train station.

"Did you notice?" Momoi asked as the two childhood friends walked side by side.

"Notice what?" Aomine asked with a raised brow.

"She stumbled when she landed, and then after she made the buzzer beater she hardly moved," Momoi explained, and Aomine licked his lips before nodding his head. "I hope she's okay," Momoi muttered softly, and Aomine hoped that Tetsumi was okay too. If she injured herself once more, her career in sports would probably be over forever.


	28. NOSTALGIC

**Author's Note: **Hello beautiful readers! I want to express my gratitude to all of you for commenting on the last chapter and for all the favorites and alerts on this story. I can't thank you all enough for the support and encouragement. Hopefully the next chapters will be to your liking, I have many plans in store after the game against Tōō. Also Nigou will be entering the story very soon! However, I am changing him to be a larger dog than his cute puppy self and I have reasons for it, but I hope you guys will like him just as well. Until next time you lovely people! Enjoy!

**Important:** There is a poll on my profile page with the question who would you rather see Tetsumi with Kagami or Aomine? It's not going to effect the outcome of the story (for I have already made my decision), but I am definitely curious to see what everyone thinks! So share your choice!

* * *

**NOSTALGIC**

Everyone was so relieved that the games were over for the day and they could finally rest. Tetsumi knocked on the boys' locker room door and walked in with Riko by her side. While they had successfully defeated two kings, they were much too tired to really celebrate. If anything they all wanted to eat and then go to sleep. Tetsumi was right there with them; she could really go for a bubble bath at the moment. Her knee was still hurting her, but she did her best not to show it. She was positive that a good nights rest and a few stretches would help calm the pain. Every step, however, felt like someone was poking her knee with needles.

The boys were all in their pants and Seirin sports jackets, lounging about on the benches in the room. Aside from Kagami, who was sitting on the floor with his legs stretched out in front of him. He had probably overdone it, but for the most part it looked like he would be fine. Riko looked at Kagami and knelt down beside him, asking him how his legs were feeling. He explained they felt a little tense, but otherwise they were fine. She seemed pleased with that information and told him that he would have to take it easy for a couple of days just to ensure he did strain or tear his muscles.

Kagami nodded in agreement and looked at Tetsumi as she slightly limped towards the closet bench. He raised a brow and was about to say something to her when Riko stood up and announced they needed to head out soon. Hyuga and the other seniors of the team groaned and asked if they could have just a little longer to rest. Riko frowned a bit, knowing they had to get out of the stadium in the next ten minutes before security threw them out.

"My mom's restaurant is like six blocks from here," Tetsumi chimed in and everyone looked at her. "Why don't we get something to eat?" She shrugged her shoulders and Riko nodded in agreement, telling everyone to get up and move out. The seniors all groaned as they lazily and sluggishly exited the locker room.

Kagami stood up on his feet and grabbed his bag. As he was walking out, he stopped and looked back at Tetsumi. She was still sitting on the bench and seemed to be nursing her knee. The redhead tilted his head a bit and walked over to her. His shadow loomed over her, causing her to look up at him and smile weakly. He sat down beside her as she massaged her knee before putting her brace back on.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Kagami questioned, gesturing towards her knee.

Tetsumi pressed her lips together and nodded slowly as she tightened the straps of the brace. When she felt satisfied with her brace, she stood up and sucked in a breath. Kagami gave her a worried look as she started to walk, only to stumble a bit. He quickly stood up and steadied her.

"Hey so we don't really know the way," Riko said as she poked her head back into the locker room. "So could you...is everything okay?" the brunette asked as she saw Kagami holding Tetsumi up as she bent slightly at her injured knee.

"Yes, everything's fine," Tetsumi lied.

"Don't lie!" Kagami barked, causing Tetsumi to glare up at him. She hated when people treated her like an invalid. Her knee was hurting, but it was only because she had overdone it just like Kagami had. A day or two of rest and she would be good as new. People always tended to blow things out of proportion, so Tetsumi didn't want them to worry. It was just a minor twinge of pain, she could handle it.

"No, seriously," Tetsumi assured both of them before they could gain the attention of the entire team. "It's just fluid buildup, it happens when I overuse my knee. I'll be fine, it's really not that bad."

Riko and Kagami didn't seem very convinced with her words. She licked her lips and shook her head. They were giving her the same look Aomine used to give her when he'd find her limping around Teiko in their third year. That someone-kicked-my-puppy kind of look.

"It's just a little effusion," Tetsumi explained with a kind smile. "Some anti-inflammatory medicine, some ice, and rest then I'll be good as new."

"You're sure?" Riko asked. She had seen many athletes come through her dad's gym over the years. Many of them had suffered from effusion and muscle tears, and usually if it was just mild symptoms most would be fine after some rest for a few days and some pain relievers. In more severe cases though, her father would always have them go see a doctor.

"Yes, I am certain," Tetsumi replied with a single nod and looked up at Kagami. "When we get to my mother's restaurant I'll elevate my knee and everything." She smiled at him, hoping that he would stop worrying and just trust her judgments. The redhead bit the inside of his cheek and looked to Riko, who nodded her head slowly.

"Well you aren't walking six blocks on a bum knee." Kagami handed his bag over to Riko and knelt down on the ground. "Let's go." He nodded towards his back, looking over his shoulder at Tetsumi.

"Are you serious?" Tetsumi asked in disbelief as she stared down at Kagami.

"Yeah, it's serious piggyback, hop on already," the redhead replied, waiting for Tetsumi to get onto his back. She looked to Riko for help, but the coach only stifled a laugh.

"Don't look at me, he's got a point you probably shouldn't put much weight on you knee," Riko said with a small shrug. Tetsumi sighed dejectedly and licked her lips as she moved towards Kagami.

"But what about your legs," Tetsumi commented, making one last effort to get out of it.

"Munchkin, you weigh like what 105 soaking wet?" Kagami inquired with a laugh. "I bench 250 pounds, you're nothing. I won't drop you, I promise."

Tetsumi scoffed and playfully hit him on the back of the head. "Are you being facetious?"

Kagami looked back at her and shook his head, causing Tetsumi to giggle. Realizing that he wasn't going to let her walk, Tetsumi gave in and placed her hand on his shoulders. Riko nodded with a smile on her face as Kagami grabbed the back of Tetsumi's legs and stood up.

"You're heavier than you look," Kagami teased and Tetsumi playfully kicked him in the thigh. "Relax, you're still light. Now let's go already, I'm starving."

* * *

-###-

* * *

Kise and Kasamatsu were almost to the train station when the blond saw a familiar place. A smile came to his lips as he looked at the lit up sign of Kaoru's restaurant. It had been such a long time since he had gone in there, possibly a year or so. The Teiko team regulars always went to eat there after Saturday practice, even Akashi would come along sometimes. To Kise it felt very nostalgic as he stood there, staring at the sign while on the corner of the street. Kasamatsu didn't seem to notice him staring, and it wasn't until Kise started walking towards the restaurant that his captain looked at him.

"Where are you going? The train station is that way," Kasamatsu called out, pointing to the train station that could be seen just another two streets over. "Kise!" the dark haired captain hollered, but the blond ignored him completely. Sighing in annoyance, Kasamatsu followed after the younger teen.

"It hasn't changed at all," Kise mused as he stood in front of the large window that allowed him to see inside. Kasamatsu came up beside him and asked him what was so special about the place. The blond chuckled and shook his head as he walked over to the door that was wide open, allowing sweet and delicious aromas slip onto the street. "Come on, senpai! This place is delicious."

"We'll miss the train," Kasamatsu informed Kise, gesturing back down the street in the direction of the station.

"We can catch the next one, come on," Kise said as he walked over to his captain and drug him into the restaurant.

"Good evening! Welcome!" the hostess at the small podium greeted with a warm smile as the two teenagers walked in. "Table for two?" she inquired politely, and Kise nodded his head in agreement. She gathered up a couple of menus and asked them to follow her into the restaurant.

"Dolce e Fresco," Kasamatsu read aloud from the menu as he sat down at the table the hostess had brought them too. She told them to enjoy their meal and quietly walked away.

"It means Sweet and Fresh," Kise said to his captain as he looked around the restaurant. It was still the same warm, cozy, and quaint place it had always been. Kaoru was an excellent cook and she had even better taste in interior design. The lighting was perfect, the floors were a smooth and sleek would, and the tables and booths were always clean. "This brings back so many memories," Kise chuckled to himself.

"You've been here before then?" Kasamatsu inquired as he skimmed over the menu.

"Many times," Kise replied and Kasamatsu looked up from the menu. "Back in middle school the Teiko regulars ate here every Saturday after practice. Tetsucchi's mother owns it."

"Oh, that's interesting," Kasamatsu replied as he went back to looking at the menu. There were many items to choose from, each menu item being Italian and Japanese inspired.

"Kise-kun?" a woman's voice came from behind the blond. He perked up, recalling the sound of the voice perfectly. Kasamatsu looked around Kise and saw a woman that looked almost identical to Kuroko Tetsumi. She was a little bit older looking, but they had the same cerulean eyes, the arctic blue hair, and were the same stature. "Oh my goodness! It is you!" the woman exclaimed gleefully as she walked to the side of the table, examining the blond.

"Kaoru-san! It's so good to see you," Kise said with a bright smile as he hopped down from his chair and gave the woman a hug. She laughed lightly and hugged him back, patting his back in an affectionate manner. "How are you doing?" he asked politely as they pulled apart from one another.

"Oh, I'm doing just fine," she gushed patting his upper arm. "You've grown so tall, and you're so handsome," she laughed as she looked him up and down. Kise shrugged his shoulders and chuckled a bit before sitting back down. "And who's this?" Kaoru inquired as she turned her attention to Kasamatsu.

"This is Kasamatsucchi! The team captain of Kaijo, my new basketball team," Kise said proudly as he beamed over at Kasamatsu, who stifled a laugh.

"Kasamatsu Yukio, pleasure to meet you," he said politely. The woman smiled and bowed slightly and introduced herself formally as well.

"How about I fix you boys up something real nice? I remember your favorite Kise-kun," Kaoru said and Kise eyes sparkled with happiness. "What about you, Kasamatsu-kun?"

"Whatever you recommend," Kasamatsu said with a smile as he handed the menu back to the woman. She laughed and took the menus from the boys, assuring them she would bring them both meals they'd never forget. The two teenagers told her they couldn't wait to try it. "They're very different," Kasamatsu noted.

"Yeah, Kaoru-san is very boisterous while Tetsucchi is much more soft spoken," Kise said with a laugh. "But Tetsucchi has her moments." A waitress walked over and placed some glasses of water on the table for them both. They thanked her and she nodded as she walked away to tend to her other tables.

"That Aomine guy, what can you tell me about him?" Kasamatsu asked as he grabbed his water glass and took a quick sip. The whole time they had been sitting at the stadium, Kasamatsu had been curious about the tanned teen. He had this aura about him that seemed a little menacing. It was obvious enough that he was a basketball player and had played at Teiko alongside Kise.

"Aominecchi is a wicked player," Kise explained as he leaned back in his seat. "He was the ace of the Generation of Miracles. He's the one who got me into basketball now that I think about it."

"I see," Kasamatsu muttered, wondering just how good he could really be. As it was Kise was one tough opponent. His copying ability made him quite the contender in any game, and Kasamatsu would never admit it out loud, but he was definitely the most valuable play on the team. It wasn't that he didn't want to say it to Kise, but if he did the blond's head would probably get to big to fit through doors. On some level though, Kasamatsu was sure Kise already knew it. When Kise first joined the Kaijo team, Kasamatsu had to essentially beat the arrogance out of him. It slipped out from time to time though, but Kasamatsu enjoyed Kise's company most of the time regardless.

"Aominecchi probably beat me a hundred times in one on one matches, and not once did I ever beat him," Kise mumbled as he stirred the ice cubes of his drink around with a straw. "I plan to change that though," the blond assured his captain, who smirked and nodded his head.

"Sounds fierce," Kasamatsu said, sipping on his water again.

"He is," Kise agreed, running his fingers through his hair. Aomine inspired Kise, just as Tetsumi had. He had been so bored at school one day, not really liking any of the clubs he'd join his first year and his second year hadn't really seemed much better. It was like fate when he walked passed the gym that late afternoon and saw Tetsumi and Aomine playing together. She wasn't a true match for him as he moved so effortlessly, but she held her own. At first Kise thought she was just a manager or assistant coach, so he ignored her. When he joined the team he was surprised to have been put under her charge. Tetsumi was really something when she really let herself go on the court. Aomine was the same way; he seemed so sluggish and lethargic when he wasn't on the court. Once he got a basketball in his hand though, Aomine was invincible.

"What about the others?" Kasamatsu prompted.

"What others?" Kise asked, looking to his captain.

"Well I've seen Midorima and I've met Aomine and Tetsumi, then there's you," Kasamatsu explained and Kise nodded, understanding what he captain was asking. "What about the other two?"

"Murasakibaracchi goes to Yosen in Akita," Kise said and then thought about the redhead captain of Teiko. "Then there's my old captain, Akashicchi. He's in Kyoto at Rakuzan."

"Rakuzan?" Kasamatsu repeated in surprise. "That's nationally one of the best basketball clubs in all of Japan."

"Akashicchi would settle for nothing less," Kise replied with a small laugh. "His family is very wealthy and excellence is everything to them."

"Well they nailed that one on the head," Kasamatsu chirped with a shake of his head. "Yosen is pretty impressive too. Why didn't any of you stick together?"

"We didn't want to," Kise explained with a small shrug, which caused Kasamatsu to furrow his brows. If all of them had gone to one school together they would be complete threats to every basketball club in Japan. Kasamatsu then figured maybe it was best that they'd all gone their separate ways. "Well, we all fought for Tetsucchi though. She's complementary to everyone."

"You really think highly of her," Kasamatsu said with a snicker.

"If you played along side her and not against her and if you got to know her, you'd want her on our team too," Kise assured him with a confident smile.

"Kagami-kun! This is really embarrassing, I can walk to our table," Tetsumi's voice seethed.

Kasamatsu and Kise both turned their attention to the front entrance where the entire team of Seirin was standing. The blond's mouth fell open slightly when he spotted Kagami carrying Tetsumi on his back. She was scolding him quietly, but the redhead only shook his head refusing to let her down until they got to their table.

"What in the world?" Kasamatsu gaped while Kise laughed lightly.

"We can put all the tables together if you all want to sit together," the hostess offered to Riko, but the brunette waved the matter off. The hostess smiled as the Seirin team came into the dining area with Kagami bring up the end.

"Kise! Kasamatsu!" Kagami exclaimed, pointing at the two Kaijo players. Kise greeted them cheerily, while Kasamatsu frowned, scolding Kagami for not having manners an addressing them appropriately. The redhead scoffed as he walked over with Tetsumi still on his back. She sighed and shook her head, looking down at the two.

"Something wrong, Tetsucchi?" Kise inquired with a worried look on his face.

"No, I'm fine, Kagami-kun's just being ridiculous," Tetsumi huffed.

"I'm being ridiculous? You were practically crawling," Kagami huffed as he let her down onto the ground. When her feet touched the floor, Tetsumi brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and rolled her eyes.

"I was not crawling, you're being overdramatic," Tetsumi deadpanned with a shake of her head. "I'm perfectly alright." She smiled at Kise, who didn't know who to believe: Tetsumi or Kagami. From the looks of it, Kagami seemed to be worried about his teammate. Tetsumi was never one to let on how bad something really was, she always sugar coated it. She probably did that to ease the overactive minds of the Generation of Miracles though. In their world, after Tetsumi's leg had been broken, she had become a delicate flower. They knew it drove her crazy too, so she started down playing how bad things really were.

"Your last shot, it couldn't have been easy on you," Kise stated, gaining Tetsumi's attention. "That's the first time you've made a shot like that since your injury. It was pretty cool." The blond winked at her, trying his best to not pick her up, place her in a chair, and doctor her leg. Not that he would even know where to begin, but he would assume staying off of it would be step one.

"I agree, best buzzer beater I've seen in a long time," Kasamatsu added with a smile. "Although, had Kagami not blocked that shot things probably would have been very different. So good job to both of you."

"Just wait until we get you guys in the championship rounds," Kagami grinned.

"I won't hold back," Kise smirked as his golden eyes locked with Kagami's scarlet ones. "I'm going to take you down."

"Bring it on," Kagami challenged.

Tetsumi stifled a laugh and shook her head. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing the Seirin team had already settled into their seats. They were gabbing about the game and how amazing it was they managed to defeat two kings in a row. Tetsumi smiled at that thought, it was really amazing. Seirin was a spectacular team with so much camaraderie and faith in one another. It was like her first year in Teiko, everyone had each other's backs.

Someone squealed Tetsumi's name, and the young girl turned seeing her mother walking forth with two plates of food. The older woman placed the food down before Kasamatsu and Kise. She told them both to enjoy and walked over to her daughter with a bright smile.

"How were your games today?" her mother asked, placing her hands on her daughter's shoulders.

"It went well, we won both games," Tetsumi said as her mother cheered and pulled her daughter to a tight hug. The teen laughed lightly and hugged her mother back. A few short moments later, she pulled away and turned her attention to Kagami. "Mama this is Kagami Taiga, he's apart of my team. And those two tables right there," Tetsumi pointed to the two tables filled with teenagers, "those are my other teammates from Seirin."

"Oh! It's just like old times!" Kaoru exclaimed happily, clapping her hands together. "Here you two have a seat, I'll fix you up something special." Tetsumi's mother quickly ushered Kagami into the empty seat beside Kise and guided Tetsumi's over to Kasamatsu's side. Moments later, the woman was back in the kitchen before anyone could say anything else.

"Your mom is very...eccentric," Kagami commented with a small laugh. Tetsumi sighed softly and shook her head. They were polar opposites; her mother was wild and free while Tetsumi was more reserved and gentle. She was a lot like her father, who was also very reserved, but far more stoic. "But you look just like her."

"I get that a lot," Tetsumi chuckled.

"Her food is fantastic," Kasamatsu chimed in and Tetsumi nodded in agreement. Her mother loved to cook, according her Tetsumi's late grandmother; her mother was always in the kitchen as a little girl. The way Kaoru was about cooking was the same as Tetsumi's love for basketball.

"I remember why we came here all the time," Kise laughed as he popped a french fry into his mouth. "So good!" he praised as his taste buds came to life, experiencing every flavor and seasoning.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Tetsumi sighed as she sat outside on one of the patio tables perfect for two having coffee under the starry night sky. She had finished her meal a few minutes ago and excused herself to get some fresh air. The rest of Seirin had stayed inside and were just casually talking with Kaoru while her staff cleaned up. Kasamatsu and Kise had even joined in, but would probably leave soon to catch the last train out to Kanagawa. Tetsumi stretched her arms above her head before leaning back on the white wooden chair. It was a perfect night, clear and beautiful with a nice fresh early summer breeze.

The bells on the door of the restaurant jingled and Tetsumi looked over to see Kise walking out. He had his jacket slung over his shoulder, looking completely modelesque in the warm light of the restaurant. The blond smiled when he saw Tetsumi and walked towards her. He pulled out the empty chair across from her and took a seat.

"So about three weeks ago, Aominecchi called me," Kise said and Tetsumi looked at him as he played with a napkin dispenser. "He thought I said something to Akashicchi about...well I'm not entirely sure." He shrugged his shoulders at the girl across from him looked away slowly, staring up at the night sky.

"Sei-kun thinks that Dai-kun and I will get in the way of the stupid oath," Tetsumi began a few moments later, causing Kise to raise an eyebrow at her before she continued, "I told him that was ridiculous of course. Dai-kun would never let someone beat him at basketball for any reason. They would have to beat him fair and square even if it's me."

Kise blinked a few times, connecting the dots in his mind. "You and Aominecchi?" the blond inquired not really surprised by the assumed information. Even back in middle school, Aomine was obviously head over heels for Tetsumi. Nothing ever happened between them though, but Kise knew it would happen eventually. "You guys are dating?" he asked with a coy smile. "I'm jealous," Kise chuckled lightly.

"No, we're not dating," Tetsumi corrected before anymore misinformation got passed around.

"You wanted to but Akashicchi is telling you not too?" Kise tried, and Tetsumi looked at him. She sighed and brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Fiddling with the sleeves of her Seirin jacket, Tetsumi stifled a laugh. The blond was slightly confused and tilted his head slightly. "Am I wrong?" he wondered aloud.

"Not entirely," Tetsumi admitted softly.

"Tell me the whole story then," Kise prodded.

Tetsumi pursed her lips and debated if it was really a good idea to talk about it. She trusted Kise he wouldn't do anything stupid. Kise was always one of the more fun ones to talk to when it came to gossip. They used to joke all the time back in Teiko about everyone in the school even the teachers. It was there own little game they used to pass the time.

"I like Dai-kun," Tetsumi said, and Kise smiled warmly. "I really like him, but I don't know what he's thinking half the time. One moment he seems bold and sure of his feelings and then the next he's like a pubescent boy." She shook her head and placed her elbows on the table to rest her chin on the back of her hands.

"I see," Kise replied. "And Kagamicchi?" he prompted, causing Tetsumi to furrowed her brows.

"What about him?" she inquired, not understanding what the blond was getting at. "He's my friend and teammate."

"Are you sure?" Kise asked with a small playful smile on his lips.

"Yes, why?" Tetsumi questioned with a raised brow, leaning back in her seat. She crossed on leg over the other and waited for Kise to explain himself.

"You two seem close," Kise explained as he leaned back in his own seat and shrugged his shoulders. "You should be careful, Tetsucchi," the blond warned with a wave of his finger before adding, "I know you may not mean to lead Kagamicchi on, but I think you underestimate your charm sometimes."

"I'm not leading him on," Tetsumi stated firmly with a single shake of her head.

Kise frowned a bit. "Not intentionally," the blond informed her and looked up to the doors of the restaurant as the bells jingled and Kasamatsu came outside. He slipped on his beige coat and looked over to Kise and Tetsumi. "Ready to go, senpai? The train will be here in fifteen minutes."

"Yeah, let's go before we're stranded here," Kasamatsu said as he walked over to them. "I hope we see you and your team at the Inter-High championships."

Tetsumi smiled and looked at Kasamatsu. "We'll be there," she replied with a wink, and Kasamatsu chuckled. "Be careful going home you two," Tetsumi said as she stood up to give Kise a hug before he departed. The blond assured her he would protect his senpai, which caused Kasamatsu to sputter as he turned on his heels heading towards the station.

"Tetsucchi," Kise said as he pulled away. "Kagamicchi and you have a special partnership on the court, I'd hate to see it ruined just because one of you gets your heart broken." He gently pulled her hair over one shoulder in an affectionate manner.

"That's surprisingly selfless of you," Tetsumi commented.

"What can I say, watching you two reminded me of the old days," he replied as he shrugged his shoulders and kissed her forehead before jogging off to catch up with Kasamatsu.


	29. REQUEST

**Author's Note: **Hi everyone, thanks for the feedback on the previous chapter and also thanks to everyone who has voted on the poll so far, I'm going to leave it up for a while longer before I show the results. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter and as always, many apologies for typos and grammar errors.

**Important:** I would like to address my stories that were once here, but have been taken down. First and foremost, I did not like the concept of how things had started going in either stories, so I decided to put them on hold for a bit to see if I could salvage them. I am very sorry if you liked the stories I took down, but if I do not like them myself I will not force myself to write them, henceforth when I found them un-salvagable in my own opinion, I took them down. Secondly, I do want to put my main focus on Shadow Play. Thirdly, I will write other Kuroko no Basuke fictions in the future. Currently, I am working on one now to make up for my Midorima and Takao story I had previously. Fourthly, I appreciate everyone who did like those stories and I really am sorry that I took them down, and I hope that doesn't discourage you from reading my newest story that will be coming out in a couple of weeks. If it does, well there isn't much I can do about that. Either way I hope you can understand, thank you for reading and supporting my works. I hope you are not angry/disappointed.

* * *

**REQUEST**

Tetsumi stared at the calendar date marked on her phone. Three days ago, Seirin had defeated Shutoku High School by three points. It was one of the most talked about games that happened over the weekend. The underdog team had brought two kings to their knees. Everyone was now recognizing Seirin as a threat, but before they could truly earn such a title they'd have to win the Inter-High. Tetsumi wasn't afraid, she knew her team had it in them. They had a fighting spirit and strong determination to win.

She snapped her blue phone shut and stuffed it into her pocket. Practice was about to begin for the day, but Riko had told both Tetsumi and Kagami to sit out for a few days until their injuries healed. The redhead hated it, wanting nothing more than to play. Tetsumi chuckled at his anxiousness to play. He was in many ways like the Aomine she had met in her first year of middle school. Kagami dribbled a ball as he sat on the bench, looking completely bored while Riko had the rest of the team running drills.

Kagami stopped dribbling the ball and yawned. Tetsumi looked at him for a moment before looking back at the rest of the team. She watched them as they practiced their passing. Riko told them that they had to get better at it; she wanted it to be seamless. Tetsumi couldn't argue with that, seamless passing among a team meant less steals and turnovers in a game. Seirin didn't particularly suffer from either, but it was still a risk they didn't need to take.

"They're releasing the teams tomorrow," Tetsumi said as she leaned forward, resting her hands on her knees. "We'll find out who our next opponent will be for the championship league." She turned her attention to Kagami as he spun a basketball on the tip of his finger. He pushed it up and changed it to spin on another finger before stopping it entirely to look at her.

"Where did the other Generation of Miracles go?" Kagami asked suddenly, completely changing the subject.

"Is that all you think about?" Tetsumi retorted with a snort. The redhead looked away and shrugged his shoulders as he rolled the basketball back and forth on the back of his hand. "There's only one other in Tokyo, the rest went elsewhere." Tetsumi brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and watched the team practicing lay-ups.

"So that means that one of them will most likely be in the championship league for the Inter-High," Kagami deduced with a thoughtful look. He found it hard to believe that they wouldn't be semifinals, but he wasn't sure what team they'd be on. As it was both Kise and Midorima were going to well known schools, so Kagami assumed the next one would probably go to a popular school as well.

"His name is Aomine Daiki," Tetsumi revealed.

"And what's his great gift?" Kagami asked curiously.

"He's like you," Tetsumi said, turning to look at Kagami. The redhead's brows furrowed together as he stared back at her. "He's the ace of the Generation of Miracles, the first to find his hidden talents out of them all."

"What's he like?" Kagami asked.

"Lazy, hardheaded, kind of an ass, but I like him anyways," Tetsumi listed with a laugh. She hadn't seen or heard from him since the kiss outside the cafe before the Shutoku game. It somewhat annoyed her, but it wasn't like she had really reached out to him either. Although, Tetsumi felt that since she asked him what he wanted it was up to him to make the next move. The ball was essentially in his court, but if she waited on him things may never happen. "Overall, he's really one hell of a player. He used to eat, sleep, and breathe basketball then things changed."

"How?" Kagami pressed.

"He just did," Tetsumi answered with a halfhearted shrug. Kagami could tell it wasn't that simple, he refused to believe it was that simple. Of course, if Tetsumi didn't want to tell him he would have to hold his tongue. It was a sensitive topic to her, so he could understand her reluctance. "Sometimes I think it's my fault that they changed."

Kagami raised a brow at her. That was a crazy thought; Tetsumi was such a nice girl and hardly caused any trouble at all. He couldn't imagine any of those guys changing because of her. She loved basketball and wanted everyone she played with to love it too. Kagami shook his head and snorted, telling her there was no possible way it was her fault.

"But it is," Tetsumi muttered sadly, and Kagami frowned. He bumped her with his shoulder and she looked at him. The redhead shook his head and told her firmly that whatever happened couldn't possibly be her fault. "They changed after this," she pointed to her braced leg and Kagami blinked.

"Munchkin," he said firmly, reaching for her face so she would look at him. "You didn't tell them to change, you didn't force them to change, and you getting injured is certainly not your fault. Things happen, people change, there's nothing we can do about that." He let go of her face and smiled weakly before standing up.

Riko blew her whistle twice and the boys on the court nearly collapsed from exhaustion. The coach told everyone they had done good work today and that they should head home and get some rest. It was a welcomed suggestion as the boys tried to catch their breaths. Sweat rolled down their face, their shirts were stained with sweat, and they all looked like zombies in Tetsumi's opinion. Perhaps having a mild injury wasn't that bad after all.

"Listen the game is in eight days!" Riko announced and everyone looked at her. "We won't know our opponent until tomorrow afternoon, but the date of the game is set." The coach placed her hands on her hips and turned around to look at Kagami and Tetsumi. "I know you both probably want to practice too, but we can't risk it. We'll need you both to be pictures of health at the championship league kick off."

"I'm actually enjoying the bench," Tetsumi joked lightly while Kagami started off on a rampage about how he was perfectly fine and Riko was worried for no reason and a whole bunch of other things. As the redhead continued to rant and rave, Tetsumi could see Riko was starting to get annoyed. Before Riko got to the point of no return and beat Kagami senseless, Tetsumi gently pushed the toe of her foot at the bend of Kagami's knee. He yelped as he flailed his arms trying to keep from falling.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" Kagami growled as he whipped around, glaring daggers at Tetsumi.

"I know you wanna play, Kagami-kun, but you're more vital in the games than practice. Listen to the coach," Tetsumi said calmly, hoping that Kagami would hush before he said something stupid. The redhead pouted a bit as he slowly and reluctantly sat back down on the bench beside Tetsumi. "Very good," Tetsumi said with a smile and looked back to Riko.

"Bakagami!" Riko snapped and said redhead flinched at the sharpness. "Do not play basketball at all until I tell you too!" She pointed at him accusingly, and Tetsumi chuckled a bit. Asking Kagami not to play basketball was like asking a hungry lion not to eat a mangled animal carcass.

"Fine," Kagami muttered bitterly.

"That goes for you, Tetsumi-chan," Riko smiled, her words more friendly and motherly. Kagami rolled his eyes as Tetsumi nodded in agreement, assuring Riko she wouldn't do anything reckless. "Good, I'll see you two tomorrow at practice." The coach waved to them as she walked away, leaving Kagami and Tetsumi alone in the gym.

"This sucks," Kagami grumbled as he started gathering up his belongings. "My legs are fine."

"Oh stop," Tetsumi chided, waving a finger at him as she stood up and gathered her things as well. She slung her bag's strap onto her shoulder and smiled at him, seeing he was very restless. "Riko-chan is just looking out for you, besides if you tear a muscle you'll probably have to sit out the rest of the championships. Just roll with it for now." Tetsumi patted his arm in a comforting manner and started walking towards the door with Kagami following after her.

"So if you found me playing basketball somewhere would you say anything to the coach?" Kagami asked curiously as they both exited the gym together. The air was humid and the skies were grey. The wind picked up a bit and the smell of air filled their nostrils.

"I don't think I'd have to tell her, that girl has the eyes of a predatory bird," Tetsumi laughed as she looked up at Kagami. "She'd probably figure out you played basketball before you even walked in the door. To answer your question though, if I saw you playing basketball while you shouldn't I'd either join you or kick your ass for Riko-chan," Tetsumi answered with a sly smile, which caused Kagami to sputter.

"You kick my ass?" Kagami asked comically. "I've swatted flies bigger than you," he teased, placing a hand on her head. Tetsumi sighed and slapped his hand away, she hated when people ruffled her hair. Murasakibara did it all the time and if he wasn't such a good player and she wouldn't be thrown in prison, she probably would have hacked both his arms off.

"I know how to handle you tall ones," Tetsumi shot back with a smirk and playfully kicked Kagami in the knee. He stumbled a bit and she stuck her tongue out at him. "You go for their knees."

Kagami shook his head. "Well at least I know you're scrappy," he told her.

"Look at these guns," Tetsumi deadpanned as she lifted her arms, and Kagami's head fell between his shoulders.

"Just don't go picking fights with anyone," Kagami told her, causing the girl to chuckle. "Want to go to Maji Burger?" he asked when they reached the front entrance of the school.

Tetsumi was about to say she could use a vanilla shake, but a black car rolled up across the street. She recognized the car very well, and she was surprised to see it. Kagami didn't seem to notice anything at all.

"I can't today, but how about tomorrow?" Tetsumi asked, ripping her eyes off of the black car.

"Yeah sure," Kagami agreed with a single nod, but noticed Tetsumi's eyes kept flicking over to a car parked near the end of the block. "You okay? You keep looking at that car." He nodded towards the black car, and Tetsumi opened her mouth to speak, but just shook her head.

"I have to go, see you tomorrow in class okay," she said with a smile and ran towards the car. Kagami wanted to protest, not understanding why she was running to a car that seemed to scare her moments ago. "Remember! Don't play any basketball!" she hollered and waved to him as the car door opened and a redhead stepped out. Tetsumi turned around and looked at the redhead, who said something to her. He got back into the car and Tetsumi looked back at Kagami.

Her teammate watched as she got into the car and shut the door. As the car slowly drove passed him, Kagami watched until it went around a corner. The redhead in the car wasn't very tall maybe a little more that Tetsumi. He had been dressed in a school uniform that he didn't recognize and there was something about him. Kagami had never felt intimidated by someone standing across a road. He wondered how Tetsumi knew someone like him, but then it dawned on him.

"Maybe he was one of them," Kagami mused as he made his way towards Maji Burger to get something to eat.

Tetsumi watched as Akashi's driver drove them down the road. She wasn't sure where Akashi had told him to take them. When Akashi had gotten out of the car, he had asked her if Kagami was her teammate. She told him that he was, and Akashi got back into the car. Now they were both just rode in silence, sitting side by side in the back seat of the car. Tetsumi debated if she should speak first, but Akashi seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"How's your knee?" Akashi asked.

"What?"

"I saw the game against Shutoku," Akashi stated simply, and Tetsumi's mouth opened slightly. She didn't expect him to come to Tokyo to watch that, but then again his team could have been playing at some point over the weekend. "You stumbled at one of your lay-ups and that final shot, you were very stiff after you landed." Akashi crossed one leg over the other and looked at Tetsumi with a small smile.

"I'm fine," Tetsumi said. "You don't have to worry about me." She looked into his unique eyes and smiled weakly. Akashi may have been cruel and unusual sometimes, but he took care of his friends. He wasn't always cold when she first met him; he was actually surprisingly a warm-hearted person. It wasn't until after her injury and the Generation of Miracles bloomed that he became the person sitting beside her.

"First Shintaro tells me you and Daiki had reconciled and seemed to be getting close," Akashi began and Tetsumi sighed, knowing exactly where he was going, "Shuzo then proceeds to tell me that he saw you two kissing outside a café the day of the game."

Tetsumi closed her eyes and cursed Nijimura inwardly. She was sure he didn't know anything and probably meant no harm, but Akashi wasn't reasonable about this at all. When she saw Midorima next, she was going to give him a piece of her mind.

"You and Rima-kun still talk?" Tetsumi said, trying to change the subject.

"Don't change the subject," Akashi commanded, and Tetsumi sighed dejectedly. "If you will not listen to me, then you leave me no choice."

"Sei-kun," Tetsumi groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Whatever it is, I'm saying no. Dai-kun and I, or whomever I see is not for you to decide." She dropped her hands into her lap and looked at him.

"Very well then," Akashi replied.

"What?" Tetsumi asked with her mouth falling open. That was almost too easy; she already had a whole speech ready to give him. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," Akashi replied softly with a single nod. "But I have one request."

"Of course," Tetsumi stifled a laugh with rolled her pretty eyes. "There's always a catch." She shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair. He couldn't just be happy for her and let it go, he had to have some form of control. Sometimes she really wanted to tell him what she really thought of him. Unlike the others, Tetsumi wasn't really afraid of him. He was intimidating and harsh, but he wouldn't hurt her or any of the Generation of Miracles.

"When the game with Daiki comes up, you will not play," Akashi stated firmly.

"Excuse me? No way!" Tetsumi snapped, officially pissed off that Akashi would dare tell her to sit out of a game.

"If you get hurt in a game because of Daiki he will never forgive himself, Tetsumi," Akashi stated firmly, causing the girl to fall silent. He was right Daiki would be crushed. "He will play you at his full potential, I know that much is true. However, if you get hurt because of that, then what you want to do will never happen."

Tetsumi looked at Akashi with wide eyes. "What I want to do?" she repeated.

"You want to make us love basketball again, do you not?" Akashi inquired.

"And if I decide to play against Dai-kun anyways?"

"I think his guilt will be more than enough punishment," Akashi said simply, causing Tetsumi to glare at him. "You may not get hurt, but the probability of that is very low. I'm taking your advice, Tetsumi," the redhead told her with a small smile. "I'm not telling you this as your old captain, I'm telling you this as a friend."

Tetsumi felt the car stop moving and realized Akashi had brought her to her house. She looked out the window for a moment and licked her lips before looking back to him. He nodded to her, telling her to think about it. She wasn't sure what to do. Aomine would certainly never forgive her if she backed out because of Akashi. By the same token though, he could be understanding. Tetsumi snorted at that thought, Aomine would be furious. She also couldn't let her team go against him alone, she wanted to help them, and she wanted to play Aomine honestly.

"Thank you, Sei-kun," Tetsumi said as she opened the car door and climbed out. She ducked her head back inside the car and looked at him. "You almost remind me of the you I met my first week at Teiko. I miss that guy," she admitted with a smile and shut the door before stepping back.

Akashi looked at Tetsumi through the window and smirked. He told his driver to take him back to his hotel. As they drove away, Akashi watched as Tetsumi waved to them.

Once Akashi was gone, Tetsumi let her hand fall back to her side. She muttered a few cursed under her breath and turned on her heels. As always, Akashi gave her a lot to think about. Of course, back then he just bullied her into it. He was never mean, but he always seemed to be pushing her in some direction. Tetsumi made her way up the stairs to her floor.

"Oh Tetsumi-chan! Just the girl I was looking for," a woman cheerily said, causing Tetsumi to look up. She quickly smiled when she realized it was her neighbor. "I have a favor to ask you." The woman was in her late twenties and married to a very fancy businessman. Tetsumi remembered when they first moved in five years ago, her father and the woman's husband talked for hours.

"Good afternoon, Akimoto-san," Tetsumi said with a smile as she jogged up the stairs, meeting the caramel haired woman. "How can I help?" she asked politely, looking into the woman's bright hazel eyes.

"My husband I have to go to a company party on Friday, unfortunately my mother is on vacation and can't watch my daughter," Akimoto explained, looking very hopeful that Tetsumi would be available to babysit. "Could you possibly babysit her that evening?"

"Yeah, absolutely," Tetsumi agreed with a bright smile. "I don't have a game and I'm not working, so I'd be happy to look after her for you."

Akimoto's daughter was a new born when they first moved in. She was the cutest little baby. Tetsumi had been babysitting her since she was two years old. They would go to the park in the summer to play at the playground and swim at the public pool. She had the cutest spiral curls that her mother always put in cute pigtails. Her smile was so sweet and innocent, but she was a little diva from time to time. Sometimes, Tetsumi liked to think of the little girl as the little sister she never had.

"That's great! Kimi-chan will be so happy," Akimoto exclaimed as she clapped her hands together. "The party is at six, so I'll bring her by around 5:30 and hopefully we'll be back around ten."

"Sure, I can't wait to see her," Tetsumi agreed. The woman thanked her one last time before she made her way down the stairs. With a smile, Tetsumi plucked her keys from her bag and got to her door. She unlocked the door and dropped her bag onto the floor when she came in. When she pushed the door closed, she kicked of her shoes off and decided to make something to eat.

As Tetsumi entered her kitchen, she yelped when she saw Aomine sitting at the table. He looked over his shoulder and smiled at her. The arctic haired teen huffed and shook her head. Aomine had a really bad habit of breaking and entering her house. Of course, was it really breaking and entering when he had a key? Tetsumi had sworn she took it away from him though after the last time he came in asking her to go to his school.

"What are you doing here?" Tetsumi finally asked once she got over the initial shock of finding Aomine in her house.

"I wanted to take you to dinner tonight," Aomine explained as he stood up. Tetsumi blinked a few times and noticed he wasn't wearing his school uniform. He actually looked very handsome in some dark washed jeans and a tight fitting t-shirt that showed off his muscles. "So I hope you're hungry."

"What if I said I wasn't?" Tetsumi teased as she walked towards him, placing her hands on her hips. She looked up at him and Aomine smirked as he looked down at her. He had to try his hardest to not grab her and kiss her. The desire was boiling inside though as he looked at her beautiful face.

"Then you can just watch me eat," he replied with a smirk as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. Tetsumi blushed very slightly and shook her head, pushing him away from her. "You can't lie to me though, I know you eat like a baby dinosaur."

Tetsumi's cheeks puffed up and she crossed her arms over her chest. "I do not!" she snapped, sticking her tongue out at him.

"I'm not judging," Aomine laughed as he held his hands up to swear his innocence. Tetsumi rolled her eyes at him and smiled as she shook her head. "Go get dressed."


	30. NIGOU

**Author's Note: **Hi beautiful readers! Thank you all so much for your wonderful feedback on the last chapter, I truly appreciate it! This next chapter is essentially a fluff chapter, and I hope you all enjoy it. Please share your thoughts and opinions, I'd love to know them. Please excuse all my grammar errors and typos. Until next time everyone!

* * *

**NIGOU**

Aomine and Tetsumi were walking side by side down the dimly lit sidewalk of the park. They had had dinner at an American styled café where they ate burgers and crispy fries and had some delicious milkshakes for deserts. Tetsumi was still happily sipping on her vanilla shake while Aomine had his hands in his pockets.

Tetsumi was dressed in white denim shorts with a baby blue tank top that made her eyes look fiercely ocean blue. She also wore a sheer blue long sleeve button down shirt that silhouetted her body, which Aomine couldn't seem to stop staring at. He wasn't sure what was going on with, but he felt the desire to hold her close. Maybe it was because he had seen the way her teammate picked her up and spun her around. Aomine used to do that back in middle school, but he stopped after a while. He never understood what happened because his feelings for her never went away.

"Remember how you asked me what I wanted?" Aomine asked, staring down at the ground. He knew Tetsumi was looking at him though, he could feel those eyes boring into him. When she nodded her head, Aomine didn't know how to say what he felt next.

Aomine didn't know how to properly express himself. When it came to words, he always seemed to fall short. He felt like an idiot most of the time because of it. Sometimes he felt things so strongly, but instead of just saying how he felt he simply reacted. That's why he loved basketball so much; it was a way for him to express himself without words. In basketball, Aomine didn't really have to think, he just had to move. When it came to feelings, he had to dig down deep into his gooey center—which he felt uncomfortable with—and hope he said the right things.

Tetsumi sipped quietly on her milkshake, wondering if Aomine was going to say anything. He had asked a question and she responded, but now two solid minutes of silence passed between them. The only sounds that could be heard were the rustle of the leaves from the wind and the rhythmic chirps of cicadas. She glanced at him and could see he looked deep in thought, which almost made her laugh. He was thinking way too hard, but she knew it was because he was trying to be considerate about her feelings. The last time he told her exactly what he thought it didn't go to well. Actually, when Tetsumi thought about it, whenever Aomine just spoke without thinking it usually upset her. She knew he never meant any of it in a bad way, but he lacked delicacy sometimes.

"Come on," Tetsumi said as she took a right turn at the split in the path. Her apartment was towards the left, but she just kept walking. Aomine was a little confused, but she just told him to follow her. With a small shrug, the ace player jogged up to her side as she ventured further into the park. This path led to the small hill that over looked most of the park. When Tetsumi first got out of the hospital, she and Aomine climbed it together. It was really hard and Tetsumi wanted to quit several times, but Aomine refused to let her. He stood by her side every step of the way and encouraged her until they finally reached the shade tree and bench at the top of the hill.

Tetsumi let out a breath when they got to the top. She smiled as she saw the lone wooden bench under the large shade tree. As she walked over to it, Tetsumi ran her hand over the back of the bench. Placing her cup down, Tetsumi turned around and leaned back against the bench. Aomine stood a few steps away from her, watching her curiously. His blue eyes looked around and he looked up at the tree. When he looked back at Tetsumi, she crossed her ankles and smiled at him.

"Do you remember this place?" she asked him.

"Kind of hard to forget," Aomine said with a chuckle as he walked over to her. "You complained the whole walk up here."

"Not the whole walk," Tetsumi mumbled with an eye roll.

"No, I'm pretty sure it was the whole walk," Aomine laughed as he leaned on the bench beside her. "It's okay though, I didn't mind."

"Don't lie," Tetsumi giggled. "You wanted to hit me over the head with my crutches." Aomine laughed at her words and teased her saying the thought had crossed it mind. Tetsumi playfully pushed him aside and giggled as he tried to push her back, but she jumped out of the way. She walked around to the other side of the bench and sat down. Aomine looked at her and she patted the empty spot beside her. He smiled weakly and walked around to sit down next to her.

"It sucks that things changed," Aomine said suddenly and Tetsumi nodded slowly.

"It does and it doesn't," she replied.

"What does that mean?" he inquired with a raised brow. The girl sitting beside him twirled a strand of hair around her finger. She sighed softly and turned to face him directly.

"There's nothing wrong with changing," Tetsumi explained. "Everyone changes with time, the real problem is what you change into." She smiled at him and shrugged her shoulders. What Nijimura had told her at the stadium had been right, changing was inevitable. People had to change to grow, but what the changed into was the part that mattered. She didn't understand that at first, but the more she thought about it the more it began to make sense.

"I'm sorry for how everything happened," Aomine said as he leaned back on the bench. After Tetsumi had started coming back to school, she had tried to get everyone to start practicing again. Unfortunately, it didn't work out so well. She got everyone together again once for about ten minutes before they all left with the exception of Midorima. Aomine never forgot the look on Tetsumi's face when they all walked out. It was a look of disappointed and melancholy, something that never looked good on Tetsumi.

"I get it," Tetsumi said, surprising Aomine. "You need a challenge, and I'm going to damn well give you one." She winked at him and the teen beside her scoffed. He started telling her she was getting ahead of herself. As he talked about how Seirin would never beat him, Tetsumi could hear Akashi's words. They had been echoing in her mind ever since she got back to her apartment. Over and over again, and she still couldn't decide what to do. Part of her agreed with Akashi, if she got hurt during a match against Aomine he'd never forgive himself. She could probably ask him how he would feel, and he'd lie and say he would be fine. The other part of her wanted to play against him and prove to him that there were people out there that could defeat him. If anyone could beat him, Tetsumi knew it would be Kagami. There was something about that redhead that assured her he would save Aomine from his own superiority complex.

"While I don't think you'll be able to prove anything," Aomine began and Tetsumi frowned. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, Shorty." He reached over and gently brushed her hair over shoulder.

"Let's go back," Tetsumi said as she stood up suddenly. "To the place it began."

"What?" Aomine asked with a raised eyebrow. "Began? As in…Teiko? It'll be locked up and we'd be trespassing."

"What's the matter, Dai-kun? Scared?" Tetsumi teased as she picked up her vanilla milkshake and started walking down the path.

"Of getting arrested? No. Of the my mother? Yes." Aomine followed after her as Tetsumi laughed.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Tetsumi walked over to the small garden area outside of the Teiko gym. It didn't appear that anyone was around. The doors were locked and all the lights inside appeared to be off through the windows. If it was during the day time hours they probably could have asked the coach if they could hang around, but Tetsumi wanted to be a little more spontaneous this time. It wasn't that long ago that she and Aomine had shared a kiss on the rooftop of Teiko.

Her blue eyes scanned the ground. The coach at the time had told Tetsumi about a spare key he left outside of the gym. He had told her about it when she asked if she could stay later to practice by herself. The coach seemed to think it was a good idea and told her about the spare key hidden in the garden in one of those fake rocks. She finally spotted the plastic rock container and beamed. As she knelt down to pick it up, she popped it open and sure enough the spare key was still inside. When she turned around, Tetsumi held the key up to Aomine.

"This is still trespassing," he commented with an eye roll.

"I thought you would have been more into this," Tetsumi remarked as she walked over to the door and unlocked it. She pulled the handle and the doors squeaked slightly, revealing the court. The memories came flooding back to her. She could practically hear Akashi barking orders, the coaches whistles, the squeaking of shoes, and the bouncing of the basketballs. As Tetsumi and Aomine walked in they looked around the court. Even though it had been only a few months since they had been in the gym, it seemed like years had passed. "I actually miss this place sometimes." Tetsumi shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair.

"I don't," Aomine snorted.

Tetsumi rolled her eyes and playfully punched his side. She quickly jumped away when Aomine tried to grab her. Tetsumi stuck her tongue out at him and started laughing as Aomine chased after her. She veered left and right, dodging him each time. When she was standing in the middle of the court she laughed lightly and placed her hands on her hips.

"What's the matter, Dai-kun? Can't keep up?" she asked with a smirk.

Aomine scoffed and ran towards her. Tetsumi squeaked and spun around, darting towards the other end of the court. The tanned teen was on her heels and finally managed to catch her. Tetsumi screamed and laughed as Aomine wrapped his arms around her and threw her over his shoulder. The girl tried to wiggle free, but Aomine's vice grip had her trapped. He walked back to the middle of the court and grabbed her ankles.

"Apologize," Aomine said as he started to slowly lower her over his shoulder towards the ground.

"For what?" Tetsumi asked with a chortle.

"For punching me," Aomine replied as he acted like he was going to drop her. Tetsumi yelped and closed her eyes. Her fingers were mere inches from the ground. "Say it now, or I'll drop you."

"You wouldn't dare," Tetsumi challenged.

Aomine let her go. She screamed and lightly hit the ground and whined as she laid flat on her belly. The tanned teen laughed loudly as he looked down at her as she rolled onto her back. Her eyes narrowed violently at him and she tried to kick him. Aomine jumped out of her striking zone and stuck his tongue out at her.

"Now who should be apologizing?" Tetsumi asked as she stared up at Aomine with her big sparkling eyes. The boy smiled at her and knelt down beside her. She stared at him and watched as his smile quickly turned into a devilish grin. "No...no...no!" Tetsumi squealed as Aomine started to tickle her. She tried to crawl away, but Aomine pulled her back and continued to tickle her. Tetsumi laughed uncontrollably, nearly out of breath and begged him to stop.

"What? You want me to stop?" Aomine asked with a laugh as he continued to tickle Tetsumi. She managed to wiggle free and started to crawl away, but Aomine grabbed her ankles and yanked her back towards him. She screamed and started to laugh again as Aomine went in for another tickle attack.

"Okay! I'm sorry! Please! Don't! Stop! Stop it! I can't!" Tetsumi cried out. She was laughing and screaming so much her tears were rolling down her face and her cheeks were so red. Aomine didn't let up though he just kept going and tetsumi could swear she was going to start peeing on herself at any moment. "Dai-kun! No more! Please, I can't breathe!" Tetsumi begged and started to cough.

Aomine was just about to stop when he heard the sound of clicking. He stopped tickling Tetsumi and let out a pained cry when something bit his leg. The male scrambled back as a black and white dog attacked one of his legs. Tetsumi gasped and looked as the black and white husky ripped off a piece of Aomine's jeans and shook it around.

"Oh! What a beautiful dog!" Tetsumi gushed.

"Are you kidding me?" Aomine exclaimed as he looked at his now shredded jeans. The husky dropped the fabric in his mouth and growled at Aomine, who went tight lipped.

"He was protecting me," Tetsumi said with a smile as she looked at the dog. "Weren't you boy?" The husky barked once and wagged his fluffy tail happily as he looked at Tetsumi.

The husky sat down at Aomine's feet and stared at him with eyes as blue as the ocean waters. As Aomine stared back at the dog he slightly tilted his head and noticed something interesting. He blinked a few times and turned to look at Tetsumi. Her eyes were fixed on the husky and she sat on her knees, holding her hand out to the dog. The fluffy dog wagged his tail and pressed his nose onto Tetsumi's hand. She beamed and patted the dog's head and started scratching him behind the ear.

"He looks like you," Aomine commented as he watched Tetsumi spoil the dog that nearly ripped his leg off. He then looked down at his leg after that thought and noticed a minor cut on his leg. "I guess he was protecting you," the teen mused with interest as he looked back at the dog, who seemed to be glaring at him. Aomine scooted away slightly hoping the dog wouldn't lunge at his throat next.

"He's so soft," Tetsumi said as she continued to rub the dog down. "Do you think he has any owners? There is no collar." She checked around his neck, but didn't see anything at all. The dog licked her face and Tetsumi giggled causing him to wag his tail in excitement.

"He's probably a stray," Aomine said as he looked at the dog. "We better get out of here."

"Well what are we going to do about him?" Tetsumi asked, gesturing to the dog. "We can't just leave him here." She stood up and the husky bumped her hand with his nose. The girl looked down at him and patted the top of his head affectionately. She then looked down and gasped when she saw that Aomine's leg was bleeding. "Oh! Dai-kun, looks like he got you pretty bad, let's go clean that up before it gets infected."

"It's just a scratch, I'm fine," Aomine said, waving the matter off.

"No, let's go, my house is like four blocks from here." She grabbed his arm and tugged him along. "Come on, boy!" Tetsumi whistled and the husky yipped happily as it followed after them.

"What? You're bringing the damn dog too?" Aomine whined as they walked out of the Teiko Basketball Gym.

"Well we can't just leave him here, besides he rescued me," Tetsumi retorted as she shut the door of the gym and quickly went to lock it up. She put the key back into the plastic rock and placed it by the small garden. "I think he's pretty friendly," she said, looking at the husky, who wagged his tail and panted with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

Aomine snorted and looked at the dog, who stared back at him curiously. When the husky tilted his head, Aomine could see Tetsumi's puppy dog face too. It was almost scary how much the dog and Tetsumi looked alike. "You should call him Nigou," Aomine stated as he knelt down to the level of the dog. "He really looks like you." Holding his hand out, the dog sniffed his hand and wagged his tail slightly. "I'll forgive you for ripping my favorite pair of jeans," the teen said to the dog, who barked happily and licked Aomine's hand.

"Nigou, huh?" Tetsumi wondered aloud as she looked at the dog. She couldn't deny Aomine was right, they really did have the same blue eyes. "Well, do you want to come home with me? Nigou?" she asked as she knelt down beside Aomine and patted the dog on the head. The dog barked and spun around quickly in a circle.

"I think that's a yes," Aomine chuckled.

"Then let's go, we need to bandage Dai-kun's leg," Tetsumi smiled as she stood up and lead the way back to her apartment complex.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Aomine sat on the couch in Tetsumi's apartment. He had his leg propped up on the coffee table while Tetsumi was rummaging through the cabinets in the bathroom for some antiseptic. Nigou was sitting beside him, watching him curiously. Aomine smiled at the husky and gently stroked the top of his head. Nigou wagged his tail and welcomed the gentle pet.

"Here we go, but your going to have to settle for Hello Kitty Bandaids," Tetsumi said as she walked into the living room. She held up a couple of bandages and Aomine rolled his eyes. "Don't roll your eyes at me, I'm taking care of you." She waved a finger at him, causing Aomine snicker a bit. Tetsumi sat down on the coffee table beside his injured leg and took a cotton swab with some antiseptic on it. She gently pressed on the wound and started to clean it up.

"Do you think your parents are going to let you keep him?" Aomine asked when the husky laid his head on Aomine's lap. He smiled a bit and continued to pet the dog before looking back at Tetsumi.

"I can be convincing," Tetsumi chuckled as she looked up at Aomine, who smirked and rolled his eyes. "There you go, all done." She placed a Hello Kitty Bandaid over the small cut and giggled.

"What I've always wanted," Aomine sighed as he looked at the pink Bandaid. Tetsumi nodded happily as she grabbed the trash off the table and went to throw it away. When she threw away the trash, Tetsumi went to the fridge.

"Should we feed him something?" Tetsumi asked as she dug around the fridge for something she could feed to Nigou.

"Nah, let him starve," Aomine answered sarcastically. Tetsumi scowled and rolled her eyes in annoyance. She spotted a container of some left over chicken from last nights dinner. When she opened up the container, she shrugged her shoulders and decided to see if Nigou would eat it. Tetsumi knelt down in the middle of the living room floor and called Nigou over. The husky lifted his head from Aomine's lap and wagged his tail, trotting over to Tetsumi. She smiled at the husky and scratched his head before grabbing a piece of cut up chicken.

"You hungry boy?" Tetsumi asked, holding the chicken out to Nigou. He sniffed at the meat for a moment before tentatively taking it from her. When he swallowed, Nigou sat down and stared at Tetsumi. "I think he likes it," she said, looking to Aomine.

"Give him some more," he replied with a shrug. Aomine leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Tetsumi nodded in agreement and tossed another piece to Nigou. The husky caught the meat and licked his lips, wagging his tail happily. Aomine and Tetsumi looked at each other and started chuckling. "Scoot back and throw him another one."

Tetsumi did as Aomine had said and held another piece of chicken. Nigou watched her hand closely, remaining still at the other end of the coffee table. With a smile, Tetsumi tossed the piece of chicken to him. He caught the chicken and swallowed quickly, licking his lips and wagging his tail. Aomine chuckled and looked at Tetsumi, who scooted back a little farther. Nigou remained where he was, watching as she took another piece of chicken and carefully tossed it towards Nigou. He caught the meat in his mouth and stood up, barking happily.

"Good boy!" Tetsumi exclaimed, clapping her hands together. Nigou's ear perked up and he lowered the front half of his body, but kept his tail end in the air. His tail wagged back and forth and Aomine looked at Tetsumi, who gushed about how adorable and beautiful Nigou was. "He's really smart," the girl said with a smile and pushed the container of food towards him. Nigou ate the remaining pieces of chicken while Tetsumi sat crossed legged before him.

"It's getting late," Aomine commented when he noticed the clock on the wall read a quarter until ten. "I better get going." He stood up from the couch and smiled at Tetsumi as she got up.

"Thanks for dinner, Dai-kun," Tetsumi said as she walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest. Aomine felt the air in his legs freeze in place and a blush rose to his cheeks. He quickly swallowed and hugged Tetsumi back. "You still haven't told me what you want."

Aomine sighed softly and pulled away from Tetsumi. She looked up at him and he gently stroked the side of her face. "I want you," he whispered to her. Aomine put one arm around her slender waist and pushed her back against the wall. Calloused fingers gently brushed along her collarbone up her neck and cupped the side of her face. Her eyes sparkled as she stared at Aomine. His body leaned into hers and slowly he leaned down and kissed her lips.

Tetsumi's fingers snaked through the belt loops of Aomine's jeans. She pulled him closer like he couldn't be close enough. His lips were softer than they were last time. His one hand moved behind her head, running his fingers through her long tresses. He smiled against her lips and slowly pulled away, leaving Tetsumi completely breathless. When she opened her eyes and looked into his, she blushed shyly and looked down at the ground. Aomine chuckled softly and reached for her chin, lifting it up so she was looking into his eyes once more.

There was nothing salacious about it. The kiss was merely sweet, warm, and made Tetsumi feel butterflies. Actually, she wasn't simply feeling butterflies as Aomine stared into her eyes, she was feeling the whole damn zoo. Tetsumi bit her lip and smiled at Aomine. He kissed her forehead and quickly slipped away. Before Tetsumi could even think of anything to say, Aomine was already out the door.

She felt a goofy grin come onto her face and she buried her face into her hand, trying to muffle her giggle. Nigou walked over to her and sat beside her. When she looked at him, he tilted his head cutely and Tetsumi bit her lip as she started giggling. Nigou barked and wagged his tail as Tetsumi sighed and touched her lips.


	31. CUPCAKES

**Author's Note: **Hello everyone! So I will be starting some summer classes next week, which sucks. Because of that and work, I have decided to make a schedule, so that I can continue to update frequently. Shadow Play in particular will be updated on Wednesdays and Sundays only now. If I can squeeze in another, you can bet that I will. Otherwise always expect updates on those two days. Anyways, thank you all so much for all the comments and favorites, I can't believe how many there are now. It's just crazy! You guys are awesome, enjoy the chapter! By the way, I've made the results of the poll public now if you were curious.

* * *

**CUPCAKES**

It was Friday and since last night, Tetsumi had been smiling and bubbly. She normally was very calm and collected, but that kiss from Aomine and his whispered words had her giddy. It was like a child on Christmas morning, seeing all the presents under the tree. Tetsumi was practically skipping down the hallway to her class. When she opened the door, she greeted people with a smile and wave. Most people stared at her oddly, mostly because they didn't really recognize her. Tetsumi was usually unnoticed after all. Kagami was in his seat already and was staring blankly out the window while spinning a basketball on his finger.

Tetsumi sighed in that love-sick-school-girl kind of way as she sat down. Kagami stopped the ball and turned around in his chair. He raised a brow as he saw the sparkle in Tetsumi's eyes. It was weird to him, but it was nice to see her showing some emotion rather than looking so dull. She just seemed to be glowing, which had him wondering what happened. He rested his elbows on her desk and stared at her curiously. Tetsumi looked into his scarlet eyes and tried to stop herself from smiling. Of course, she failed though and giggled.

"Hi," Tetsumi said breathlessly as she brushed her hair over her shoulder.

Kagami blinked. "Are you...high?" he asked with a small laugh.

"What? No!" Tetsumi snapped and rolled her eyes. "I just had a really good time last night."

Kagami nodded his head slowly and smirked. "With that guy in the car? It's always the quiet ones," the redhead teased, and Tetsumi's mouth fell open. She tried to protest, but Kagami shook his head and waved a finger at her. "Don't try and deny it." He shook his head.

"That was Sei-kun, he's...well he was the captain of the Teiko team," Tetsumi explained, and Kagami furrowed his brows. "I'm serious, he just wanted to talk. He's not the reason I'm so happy."

"Then why are you so happy?" Kagami asked with a tilt of his head.

"This is kinda girly, you sure you wanna know?" Tetsumi asked, which caused Kagami's brow to twitch. He pursed his lips a few moments later and shrugged his shoulder, gesturing for her to tell him. "I think—"

"Good morning class! Guess what? Pop quiz!" their teacher bellowed as he walked into the class, laughing evilly. All the students groaned and whined, prompting the teacher to shush them all. "Quizzes and tests make you all better learners! Isn't that exciting?" he inquired with a boastful laugh as he started handing out the ten question quiz.

"We'll talk later," Kagami said with a smile and turned around in his seat. "If I survive this quiz that is."

"Didn't you read the material?" Tetsumi asked, leaning forward on her desk. She peered over Kagami's shoulder and read some of the questions. "Oh and it's all short answer too." She giggled as Kagami nearly hit his head on the desk. "You're not so good at this stuff are you?" she asked, but Kagami only snorted in response.

Tetsumi sank back into her seat to begin taking her quiz. She looked out the window and smiled weakly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Today everything seemed brighter and she still felt butterflies in her stomach. Tetsumi had this feeling, this feeling that seemed so foreign to her. Inspite of that though, it was so warm and intoxicating. If Tetsumi bit her lip as she scribbled down some answers on her paper. She had no idea what was going on with her, but there was a spark inside of her. It was like cupid was up to something and Tetsumi had a feeling that it was love. Not just any kind of love, not the love she had for her friends or for her family. It wasn't a simple innocent and platonic love, but a romantic kind of love that made her think silly things.

Tetsumi heard her phone buzz in her bag. She looked down and could see the light flashing, alerting her of a new message. Kagami's phone must have gone off too because he was pulling it out of his pocket. He flipped it open and read the message before quickly snapping his phone shut and putting it back into his pocket. Tetsumi wondered if it was from Riko, maybe she had found out who they would be up against in the semi-finals of the Inter-High. Pulling her phone out, Tetsumi quickly looked at the message and sure enough it was from Riko.

**To:** Kuroko Tetsumi

**From:** Aida Riko

**Message:** Everyone! The set-up for the semi-finals have been announced. We will be facing off against Tōō Academy.

That good warming feeling that Tetsumi had been feeling suddenly vanished. She knew this moment would come, but she didn't think it would be this soon. Her eyes went over Riko's message over and over again. It was like she was hoping it would change, but she knew it wouldn't Tetsumi closed her phone and sighed dejectedly. Suddenly everything Akashi said to her yesterday evening was bubbling in her brain. Of course she would have to face Aomine eventually. Not running into him and his team in the tournament wouldn't make any sense.

Tetsumi felt very distracted all of the sudden. Before Akashi had pointed out the fact that Aomine could accidently hurt her in their game, Tetsumi was fine. If anything, she was excited to face him. Aomine was volatile though; his emotions would run rampant if anything happened to Tetsumi during a game between the two of them. He would play his hardest, she knew that much. The real question is what would happen if she got injured during his game? Tetsumi groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose as she thought of all the possible outcomes. It probably wasn't worth worrying about; she would probably be perfectly fine. Her leg was getting better after all and the pain had completely gone away.

When everyone had finished their quizzes the teacher began talking about some war. Tetsumi had all but zoned out as she wondered what she was going to do. Her leg was perfectly fine. She couldn't just not play. She couldn't lie to her team, to herself, and to Aomine. He would want her to play, she knew that and she wanted too. The fear of him hurting though or someone else on his team hurting her worried her. Tetsumi didn't want to think negatively, but Aomine brought out her full potential. If she were playing him, she would push herself to the limit to beat him. Not once had Tetsumi ever beaten him in a game. She didn't want to beat him for the glory of victory. Tetsumi wanted to beat him to prove to him that there were players and teams out there just as strong as he was.

"Pair up and answer the essay question in the book," the teacher said and Tetsumi looked up, realizing she just spaced out on his whole lecture. She quickly looked down and realized she didn't even open up her book. "Makes sure everyone's names are on it!" the teacher said before the classroom erupted with people talking, and not really about the assignment.

"Did you get the Coach's message?" Kagami asked as he turned around. He furrowed his brows when he noticed Tetsumi was no longer in her bubbly mood. Although, he couldn't say she was in her usual calm mood either. There was worry on her face along with confliction in her eyes. "Hey, are you alright?" Kagami asked becoming a little worried about his friend.

"No," Tetsumi deadpanned, and Kagami blinked a few times debating if he should press the matter.

"Want to talk about it?" Kagami asked cautiously as he looked at Tetsumi.

"Do you want to come over to my place tonight? I have to babysit my neighbor's daughter and I'd like it if you came to help," Tetsumi suddenly blurted out, catching Kagami completely off guard. His mouth opened slightly and he stared at her with intrigue. He was not expecting that kind of invitation in any way at all. "You said before that you would listen, and I need you to listen to me. But I don't want to talk here at school, so please." She looked into his eyes and Kagami was finding it increasingly difficult to turn her down. Not that he would ever turn her down to begin with.

"You want me to help you babysit?" Kagami asked making sure he understood everything correctly.

"Yeah, I mean…I just need to talk to you, but since I have to babysit you have to come to my place, you don't mind do you?" Tetsumi asked him.

Kagami shook his head. "No, I don't mind." He shrugged his shoulders and smiled at her weakly. "Your boyfriend won't mind will he?"

"Sei-kun isn't my boyfriend," Tetsumi deadpanned. "I don't…well, I have a dude."

"What is that supposed to mean? An almost boyfriend or something?" Kagami inquired with a chuckle.

"No, it means I have a dude," Tetsumi stated firmly.

"Almost boyfriend, got it," Kagami replied with a smirk. "Good for you, what's his name?"

"Missing the point of talking about it later," Tetsumi grumbled as she flipped her book open. Kagami opened his mouth to talk, but Tetsumi quickly put her hand over it. The redhead grabbed her wrist and gently peeled it off. "Let's discuss this later, please."

Kagami let go of her wrist and sighed softly. "Alright, Munchkin." He nodded his head slowly and smiled at her. She mouthed a thanks to him and pulled out her notebook to get started on their assignment, knowing full well Kagami wasn't going to do it.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Tetsumi and Kagami were walking to the train station that would take them to her home. She had been silent all throughout practice and even most of the class. Normally, Kagami wouldn't think that much of it, but Tetsumi seemed very distracted. It wasn't like Tetsumi to be so distracted. He had reason to believe this had to do with the information Riko found out about the game. At the end of practice, Riko told them a little about their opponents. She had told them she didn't know very much other than they had been winning easily by doubling their score over the opponent. She even said that they were a highly offensive team and new for that matter. Apparently they had a whole new team of players that they'd scouted from all over the country.

Kagami started piecing things together when he noticed Tetsumi was very tense after Riko said those words. She seemed to squirming in her spot, which made Kagami think one of the Generation of Miracles had to be in Tōō Academy. The more he thought about it the more sense it was beginning to make. When it had been Midorima and Kise, Tetsumi didn't seem to care to face them. If anything, Tetsumi had seemed confident and fired up. This one though seemed to worry her, which confused Kagami.

The two boarded the train and took the two empty seats by the door. As they sat side by side, Kagami was starting to get impatient. He really didn't want to wait until they got to her apartment. Not to mention he thought it would be weird once they were watching some kid.

"One of them is on Tōō's team," Kagami said rather than asking. "The one like me?" he assumed, and Tetsumi licked her lips. She didn't answer him and she didn't nod, she just remained silent. The redhead knew he was right when Tetsumi stared blankly at the ground. He reached over and gently tugged on a strand of her hair. She shook her head and looked at him, smiling weakly.

"Yeah, it's Dai-kun's team and Satsuki-chan's team," Tetsumi finally said with a small nod.

"He's your dude isn't he?" Kagami asked.

"No…" Tetsumi muttered, glancing at Kagami. "Okay yes." She sighed in defeat and Kagami chuckled a bit.

"Falling for the enemy, shame on you," Kagami scolded, but he was only teasing. Tetsumi scoffed and shook her head, playfully punching him in the arm. The redhead snickered and put his hands behind his head, staring out the window across from them.

"I thought you would have been jealous," Tetsumi mentioned, and Kagami looked at her. His cheeks turned a light pink, but he quickly shook it off. That's when the girl realized that it was quite possible he still was. "I'm sorry if I just made things weird."

"No, it's cool," Kagami mumbled and shook his head. "I mean, I like you. You're kinda cute and like basketball and even though you got injured you continue to play. Not to mention you're trying to help your friends. It's admirable." He shrugged his shoulders and felt like he should just ask Tetsumi to braid his hair and paint his toes next. Kagami was never one to be all mushy, but Tetsumi seemed to drag it out of him sometimes. When Kagami looked back at Tetsumi she was smiling up at him. He quickly looked away, hiding his blush and rubbed the back of his neck.

"That's a pretty big word for you, admirable," Tetsumi repeated and chuckled.

"Then you do stuff like that and it reminds me that I don't like you that much," Kagami grumbled with an eye roll. Tetsumi chuckled and Kagami smirked at her as he shook his head. The train came to a stop and Tetsumi gestured for him to follow her off. "Thanks though, for telling me," Kagami told her when they got off the train.

Tetsumi turned back to look at him and nodded her head slowly. "Ki-kun told me I should probably be upfront with you. I guess he was right," she said softly as she turned on her heels and started for her apartment complex. "I do like you though, you reminded me what it was like to love basketball."

"Don't get mushy on me, Munchkin," Kagami snorted as they left the station.

"Beneath that harsh and cruel exterior is an ooey-gooey center," Tetsumi teased and Kagami shoved her aside. She squeaked as she nearly fell into some bushes. "Kagami-kun!" she chided as she straightened herself up, but only earned a boastful laugh from Kagami.

"If you like the guy, it makes no difference to me," Kagami explained to her and Tetsumi stared up at him. "As long as your happy and play seriously against him, I'm happy." He placed a hand on her head and ruffled up her hair. Tetsumi sighed and shooed his hand away from her head, quickly fixing up her hair.

"That's kind of what I wanted to talk about," Tetsumi muttered and Kagami raised a brow as they continued walking. he waited patiently for her to elaborate and when she didn't he prompted her to explain what she meant. The girl sighed dejectedly and shrugged her shoulders. "Remember Sei-kun, the guy who picked me up in the car yesterday?"

"Yeah, what about him?" Kagami inquired as they reached the stairs of Tetsumi's apartment. She stopped before climbing up and looked back at Kagami, who stared back at her waiting for more information.

"He thinks I shouldn't play against Dai-kun and his team," Tetsumi explained, which caused Kagami to cross his arms over his chest. "At first I thought he was being ridiculous, but the more I thought about his reasons the more it started to make sense."

"What makes sense?" Kagami pressed with a shake of his head. He didn't even know the whole story yet, but he was already in disagreement. If Tetsumi wanted to play she should just play it was that simple. He didn't understand these people in Japan. To him it was like that thought too hard about playing basketball. It was just a sport, something fun to do, a way to meet strong players, and make friends and in some cases enemies. When he was in America, he played basketball everyday with people. They always had a good time, but here in Japan it was always about being the best and strongest. Nothing was wrong with that thinking, but Kagami didn't understand why they took it so seriously.

No matter what sport you played losing was frustrating and never fun, but the point is to get better and win the next time. That was always what Kagami thought at least, but it didn't seem like the Generation of Miracles shared that ideology. It really puzzled him how they believed they were the best players in the world. Kagami couldn't deny that Kise was a bottomless pit of talent and Midorima's three pointers were jaw dropping, but there were thousands of people who played basketball. They couldn't really think that someone wouldn't be better than them at some point.

"If I play and get hurt because of Dai-kun or because of someone else on his team, he will never and I mean never forgive himself," Tetsumi explained to Kagami, who just stared at her blankly. "And I don't know what to do." She shrugged her shoulders, and Kagami pursed his lips. He seriously believed that people thought to hard about this stuff.

"You should play and play at your best," Kagami told her simply and Tetsumi looked at him with wide eyes. "I don't know this guy we're about to play, but you said he was like me. And if it were me, I'd want you to play me at your best. If you came up with some bullshit lie that you couldn't after how you played against Kise and Midorima, I'd be insulted. Yeah, you may get hurt, but it's better to be hurt doing something you love than being hurt by lying."

Tetsumi's mouth part slightly as she stared up at Kagami. His words were surprisingly poignant, which she didn't think he was capable of. He shrugged his shoulders and told her that's just what he thought. The teen girl before him smiled and wrapped her arms around his torso. Kagami stiffened at first and seemed to stop breathing for a moment. When Tetsumi didn't let go, Kagami slowly placed his arms around her and hugged her back.

"That's very good advice, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi said sincerely as she pulled away from him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Kagami said with a faint blush on his cheeks.

"Sumi-chan!" a voice squealed, causing both Kagami and Tetsumi to look at the top of the stairs. With a bright smile and curly locks stood a five year old girl in pink overalls and white flipflops. She had a bow in her hair and a cute beaded bracelet around her tiny wrist.

"Hi, Kimi-chan!" Tetsumi greeted with a wave as she jogged up the stairs. Kagami followed behind her and looked down at the little girl, who came just a few inches above his knee. She was very tiny, or perhaps it was because he was abnormally tall. Tetsumi knelt down to the little girl's height and gave her a quick hug. "Are you ready to come over?" Tetsumi asked when she pulled away from the little girl, affectionally fixing her hair.

"Mommy's packing my things," Kimi said, turning around and pointing to the open apartment door behind them. Tetsumi smiled and nodded her head. When she looked back at Kimi, she noticed the little girl was looking straight up at Kagami. If she looked up in higher, Tetsumi was pretty sure she'd fall backwards. The idea made Tetsumi chuckle and she stood up. "Who is this?" Kimi asked, pointing up at Kagami.

"Kimi-chan! It's rude to point at people," Akimoto scolded as she walked out of her apartment, holding a pink backpack that had the word princess with a crown sticthed into it. "Sorry about that," Akimoto said with a sigh as she shook her head. She was dressed in a simple black and white dress that fit perfectly on her body. Her hair was up in a neat bun and her make-up was completely flawless. It was times like these that made Tetsumi wish she was a bit more girly.

"It's not a problem," Kagami assured her with a wave of his hand and knelt down to be closer to Kimi's height, but he was still a head taller than her. "I'm Kagami Taiga, what's your name?" he asked the little girl, who blushed and looked up at Tetsumi and her mother. The older woman smiled and gestured for her daughter to introduce herself.

"Akimoto Kimi," the little girl said shyly as she put her hands behind her back and swayed from side to side where she stood. "Do you like cupcakes?" Kimi asked her big chocolate brown eyes gazing at Kagami.

"I love cupcakes," he answered with a big smile and Kimi beamed happily. Kagami nodded his head and stood back up looking to the child's mother. "It's nice to meet you." He bowed his head politely and Akimoto chuckled.

"Pleasure's mine," Akimoto replied as she bowed her head as well. "Smart of you to get help, Tetsumi-chan," the woman said, turning her attention to the girl.

"Don't be fooled, Akimoto-san, he's a child too," Tetsumi teased, causing Kagami to glare at her. The blue haired teen stuck her tongue out at him and looked back at Akimoto. "Have a good time tonight, don't worry about Kimi-chan. We'll take good care of her." The older woman nodded her head knowingly and handed over the pink backpack. She knelt down to her daughter's height and kissed her on the cheek, telling her to behave herself and stood back up.

"We should be back around ten, thank you again," Akimoto said graciously as she waved to them all and walked back into her apartment.

"Let's go make cupcakes, Gami-kun!" Kimi exclaimed as she tugged on his pant leg in the direction of Tetsumi's apartment. "You too, Sumi-chan!" The little girl ran towards the apartment door and both teen looked at each other. With a shrug, Tetsumi waved for Kagami to follow along as she went to let them into her apartment. When she unlocked the door Kimi skipped inside and Tetsumi followed behind her.

Kagami walked into the apartment and closed the door behind him. When he turned back around his eyes went wide and he pressed himself against the wall. In the middle of the small living room, Kimi was hugging a black and white husky. His red eyes were fixed on the dog that was wagging his tail and licking the child's face. She was giggling and happy, but Kagami was trembling and nervous. Tetsumi had just taken off her shoes and looked to Kagami seeing him going white as a sheet. She titled her head curiously and followed his line of sight toward Nigou.

"Oh," Tetsumi mused, assuming maybe he was allergic or something. "I forgot to mention I got a dog yesterday. Are you allergic?" she asked Kagami.

"N…Yes," Kagami quickly corrected himself before saying no, which made Tetsumi raise a brow. "Deathly…allergic," the redhead explained as he trembled against the door.

"Really?" Tetsumi questioned as she looked back to Nigou and Kimi, playing in the middle of the living room floor. Kagami nodded his head quickly and reached for the doorknob frantically. "I can just put him out on the porch then." Tetsumi called to the husky and he looked at her with his bright blue eyes. He wagged his tail and looked at Kagami, who froze and gasped. Tetsumi furrowed her brows, beginning to think that Kagami was afraid of dogs rather than allergic.

"Gami-kun you look sick," Kimi commented, noticing he was pale and sweating bullets.

Nigou walked towards Kagami, who looked completely terrified. Tetsumi found it all very amusing and was trying so hard not to laugh. The black and white husky sat down in front of Kagami and looked up at him with those sad puppy dog eyes. Kagami looked away and managed to get the door to open; unfortunately for him he tripped over his own feet and fell flat on his back. Tetsumi gasped and watched as Nigou ran over to Kagami and started licking him.

"No! He's on me! And my throat's exposed!" Kagami bellowed as she started crawling away. Kimi and Tetsumi were both standing at the door, watching the seen with intrigue as Nigou attacked him with slobbery licks. "No! Stop! Make it stop!" Kagami begged, but the more he resisted the more Nigou jumped around him and licked his face.

"Nigou," Tetsumi called and knelt dog, clapping her hands to get her dog's attention. When the husky heard her, he stopped and ran over to her and sat down by her side. "Allergic, huh?" the girl asked with a giggle as she walked over to Kagami. He was laying on the ground with his arms covering his face.

"So I'm a little scared of dogs," Kagami grumbled as he slowly sat up.

"You're a lot scared," Kimi said, causing Tetsumi to laugh.

"Come on, get up," Tetsumi said as she held her hand out to Kagami. The redhead sighed and took hold of her hand as she helped him back onto his feet. "We'll protect you from the big fluffy puppy." Kagami frowned and dusted himself off.

Kimi walked over to Kagami and grabbed his hand with her tiny one. "Let's go make cupcakes, Gami-kun," she said with a toothy grin, leading him back into the apartment where Nigou was sitting, watching curiously. Kagami pressed himself against the wall when he walked in and scooted along it. Kimi giggled at his antics while Nigou followed them to the kitchen. "No, Nigou! Gami-kun's scared of you!" Kimi shouted, shooing the dog away.

Tetsumi just about fell over from the scene she was witnessing. Nigou laid down in the middle of the entrance to the kitchen. Kagami and Kimi were both inside and Kimi was babbling on about cupcakes. She was asking what kind Kagami liked and if he would help her mix the batter and frosting. The redhead seemed to be calming down even though he was still a little jumpy with Nigou watching them.

"You realize you have a five year old bodyguard from a dog, right?" Tetsumi asked as she walked over to the bar area. She pulled out a chair and sat down, resting her arms on the counter.

"Shut-up," Kagami grumbled.

Kimi pulled out a little stool from the pantry and climbed onto it, so she could see onto the counter. Tetsumi smiled as she turned her attention to Kagami and started telling him to get all the ingredients. The redhead looked at the little girl and nodded his head as he started getting the items they would need to make cupcakes.

"You're surprisingly good with kids, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi commented.

The redhead looked at Tetsumi and shrugged his shoulders as he put a mixing bowl in front of Kimi. "I guess I just like kids," he mused as he pulled out some eggs from the fridge. Kimi thanked him happily as she grabbed two eggs and cracked them as she put them into the mixing bowl. "You've done this before, haven't you?" Kagami asked.

"Sumi-chan says I make the best cupcakes ever!" Kimi beamed, causing the two to laugh.


	32. ANALYST

**Author's Note: **Hi everyone! Thank you all so much for the feedback on the previous chapter! I really hope you all like this next chapter as well and please excuse all my grammar errors and typos! Also, important news: this story has been viewed over 40,000 times! I am in complete awe right now, you guys are so great. Thanks for all the support, it means so much to me. Your feedback keeps me going and all the favorites just makes me feel all fuzzy and happy inside! Enjoy this chapter, everyone. Oh and if you're interesting, I posted a Kagami and Kuroko one-shot. It's kinda on the steamy side, so if you're a KagaKuro fan check it out!

* * *

**ANALYST**

"Munchkin?" Kagami asked just before Tetsumi was about to get into the pool. She stopped and turned to look at the redhead, who had his eyes fixed on Nigou. "What's that damn dog doing here?" he inquired as he scooted closer to the edge of the bench. Nigou yipped and wagged his tail happily as he stared up at Kagami.

"Don't be mean, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi scolded as she sat down at the edge of the pool and stuck her feet into the water. She shivered a bit at the coldness and let out a slow breath as she jumped in. "Cold, cold, cold," Tetsumi chanted as she started swimming around while waiting for the others to come join them. Kagami stared at the husky as it looked at him with longing eyes just to have his belly or head scratched.

"Why is he looking at me like that?" Kagami asked as he walked towards the pool, still eyeing the dog like he was going to kill him.

"He likes you, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi deadpanned as if it was the most obvious piece of information in the world. She swam over to the edge of the pool and rested her arms on it, looking up at Kagami. "Come on, he's like a giant gerbil," Tetsumi teased as she playfully hit Kagami's leg.

"And that doesn't scare you?" Kagami asked with a raised brow. Nigou barked and it echoed loudly in the pool. The redhead jumped and stumbled into the pool, causing a huge splash. Tetsumi gasped and started laughing when Kagami resurfaced. "It's cold!" he yelped as his skin became covered in goose bumps.

"Bakagami! Don't splash in my pool!" Riko shouted from the entrance with the rest of the Seirin team trailing in after her. She had decided to have them train in the pool that way Kagami and Tetsumi could join them. Tetsumi had even mentioned it would probably help her knee to build the muscle strength around it. "Everyone in the pool! We have until next Saturday for our next game. We need to be ready, so to build up our strength we'll be doing squats in the pool." Riko stood at the edge of the pool while everyone else lined up in the cool water. Nigou sat beside Riko and barked happily as Riko patted his head. It seemed everyone in the world loved Nigou, aside from Kagami who was terrified of him.

Riko placed her hands on her hips and blew on the whistle, signaling everyone to begin. She continued at a steady pace, having everyone work out in the pool. After ten of them, she gave everyone a quick break. The second years started mentioning it was harder in the pool due to the waters resistance. Riko cut their break and told them to get ready as she blew her whistle and everyone began with their squats again.

"Resistance training is good for you," Riko told everyone after they finished another ten reps. "Plus it's easier on Tetsumi-chan's knee and Bakagami is less like to hurt himself."

"I'm not going to hurt myself," Kagami snorted with an eye roll. "You're overreacting coach."

"Well don't come crying to me when you tear your hamstring," Riko said, pointing at him accusingly. "Let's go again! Ten reps!" the brunette coach commanded as she let out a sharp whistle screech. Everyone went at it again and panted tiredly when they finished.

"Did you decide what you were going to do?" Kagami asked quietly, trying to gain everyone's attention. Tetsumi looked at him and nodded her head slowly, saying she was going to play. Smiling, Kagami nodded and told her that was the right call.

"I hope so," Tetsumi mumbled. She looked over to the entrance of the pool and noticed pink and big boobs. Her eyes widened in surprise as Momoi Satsuki came prancing in looking like a bikini model. "Oh no," Tetsumi sighed as she shook her head. Kagami raised a brow and turned around, spotting the pinkette walking in.

"Friend of yours?" Kagami asked as he looked back to Tetsumi. The pink haired girl came up beside Riko, who looked at her curiously. Her eyes fell onto Momoi's breasts and her cheeks puffed up a little bit.

"Satsuki-chan? What are you doing here?" Tetsumi asked as she swam over to the edge of the pool. All the boys and turned to see who she was talking too and all sputtered. Kagami looked at his fellow teammates and raised a brow before looking back at the pink haired busty woman.

"Oh! Tetsumi-chan!" Momoi beamed as she waved happily to her best friend from middle school. "How is your leg? Dai-chan and I went to watch this past weekend. We were worried!" Satsuki walked over to the edge of the pool and knelt down.

"I'm perfectly alright," Tetsumi assured her with a smile. "How have you been, Satsuki-chan? It's been a long time." The blue-eyed girl placed her hands on the edge of the pool and lifted herself out. She sat on the edge of the pool and wrung the water out of her hair.

"Tired, you know how tiring babysitting Dai-chan is," Momoi chuckled and stood up as Tetsumi did. "He's been in a good mood the past couple of days, did you do something?" the pinkette asked, wiggling her brows. Tetsumi blushed and rolled her eyes, waving the matter off. Momoi giggled and glanced over to the boys in the pool that seemed to be gawking at them. She smiled brightly and turned to them, waving cutely.

"Don't encourage them, Satsuki-chan," Tetsumi chided with a shake of her head as she walked over to the bench near the pool to grab a towel. She wrapped it around her body and saw all the boys were making goo-goo eyes at Satsuki. The pinkette hardly seemed to notice though; she just smiled and turned her attention to Riko who was fuming in annoyance. "Everyone this is Momoi Satsuki, she was a part of the team at Teiko too."

"She played too?" all the boys gaped.

"Oh no, I didn't play on the court like Tetsumi-chan," Momoi said, waving her hand lightly. "I was just the manager."

"She was the brains behind the operation she means," Tetsumi chimed in as she walked back over to the pools edge. "So to what do we owe the pleasure?"

"I just came to see your team," Momoi said, but Tetsumi knew better than that. The pink haired teen smiled innocently and Tetsumi pursed her lips. There was nothing wrong with her checking out the competition, but she didn't have to lie about it. "And you as well, I wanted to make sure your leg was okay." Momoi gestured to Tetsumi's leg.

"It's still attached, I think that's a good thing," Tetsumi joked. "But if you want to check out my team for your research by all means," the girl gestured to the boys still in the pool.

"Research?" Hyuga repeated with a raised brow. "What do you mean?"

"Satsuki-chan is a lot like Riko," Tetsumi explained as she looked at the pink haired girl, who smiled proudly. Her bubblegum eyes drifted over to Riko, who had her hands on her hips and appeared annoyed. "She can see things most can't and comes up with theories and outcomes for improvements and disadvantages. Satsuki-chan is just as deadly as any player because of her analytical skills. Did I leave anything out?" Tetsumi asked with a smile, and Momoi shook her head.

Kagami climbed out of the pool and sat on the edge of it. "So what do you know about us?" he asked as he stood up. Tetsumi tossed a towel to him and he dried himself off. Momoi looked him up and down and tapped her finger to her chin.

"You're Kagami Taiga," Momoi began and Kagami waited to see what else she knew. "I'm still analyzing, but I do know that you have an innate jumping ability and play the position of a power forward. In time, you will undoubtedly become quite the threat."

Kagami stared at her with interest and glanced at Tetsumi. The blue haired girl just nodded her head as Momoi turned her attention to Hyuga next.

"You are Hyuga Junpei, a shooting guard with a high success rate for shooting three pointers," Momoi said with a smile and moved her gaze to Izuki and Mitobe next. "Izuki Shun, point guard with the eagle eye vision. The silent hook shooter and Mitobe Rinnosuke."

"Well clearly you've done you're research, but that will only get you so far," Riko chimed in with her arms crossed over her chest. The pinkette turned to Riko and smiled in a friendly manner, but Tetsumi knew it was all a facade. In fact, Momoi didn't respond well to other females that had abilities such as herself. Riko wasn't as good as Momoi, but she certainly had an eye for picking up on things very quickly. "Seirin is constantly growing stronger, soon we'll leave that research behind in the dust."

Tetsumi smiled at her coach, loving the confidence Riko had in her team. When she looked back at Momoi, the pinkette titled her head slightly and walked up to Riko. Momoi's huge breast were nearly touching Riko's arms. Tetsumi sighed dejectedly and shook her head.

"I'm not just any analyst, Coach Barely B," Momoi said, causing Riko to gasp and grit her teeth. All the boys all shrunk back, preparing to run in hide if Riko exploded. Tetsumi blinked a few times and wondered if Riko would throw Momoi into the pool. "You're one trump card will be Tetsumi-chan, since she is the most unpredictable player I know." Momoi looked away from Riko and turned her attention to her best friend.

"Why are you here, Satsuki-chan?" Tetsumi inquired, knowing that she didn't come simply to check on her and scope out the team. She could have called instead and if it was the team she could have watched videos.

"We'll be going against you guys this coming weekend," Momoi said as she turned around to face Tetsumi completely. She had her hands behind her back and smiled weakly at her friend. "I wanted to talk to you about the match."

"I want you and Dai-kun to give me all you got," Tetsumi stated firmly and glanced at Kagami, who smirked and nodded his head in agreement. "Don't go easy on me, okay." She smiled at the pinkette and glanced down when she felt Nigou bump her hand. When she patted the dog's head he sat down beside her and looked at Momoi.

"What a cute dog," Momoi commented as she knelt down and clicked her tongue, trying to get him to come over. Nigou refused her though and turned his head away. "What's wrong?" she asked him with a small laugh, but Nigou continued to ignore her.

"Or are you here to tell me not to play?" Tetsumi asked, causing everyone on Seirin to stare at her in surprise. Kagami looked to Momoi, who sighed and stood up slowly. She flicked her hair over her shoulder and stared right back at Tetsumi. "Sei-kun beat you to the punch."

"I wasn't going to tell you not to play," Momoi assured her with a shake of her head. "I just wanted to tell you to be careful, you know how Dai-chan gets. He's so annoying sometimes, but this game I know he's looking forward to. Not just because you're in it, but because of him." Momoi looked at Kagami, who furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Me?" Kagami asked, pointing to himself.

Momoi nodded her head. "Dai-chan wants to know what's so special about Tetsumi-chan's new light." The pinkette looked away from Kagami and back to Tetsumi. "It's so weird, don't you think?" Momoi asked with a small smile as she looked down at the ground.

"What is?" Tetsumi inquired.

"We always thought we'd stick together," Momoi paused for a moment and brushed her hair behind her ear. "And now look, we're all rivals."

"We always were," Tetsumi said sadly. "But I didn't think it'd turn out like this."

"I won't hold back, Tetsumi-chan," Momoi said as she turned her back to her friend. "You might be my best friend, but I'll choose Dai-chan over you any day." With those words, Momoi lifted a hand in the air and walked out of the pool. When the door closed and she could no longer be seen, Tetsumi sighed softly.

"Let's get back to training," Tetsumi said with a smile on her face as she looked first to Riko then to her teammates. "We're going to have some tough competition at the next game." Placing her towel back on the bench, Tetsumi patted Nigou's head and walked over to the edge of the pool. Her mind was clouded with thoughts about the next game. It would undoubtedly be the hardest game Seirin has ever played.

* * *

-###-

* * *

"Your friend was...interesting," Kagami said as Tetsumi walked out of Maji Burger with a vanilla shake in hand. When Kagami walked out after her, he stuffed a burger into his mouth and chewed. "I thought Riko was gonna kill her," he said with his mouth full.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi scolded before sipping on her shake happily. "Satsuki-chan doesn't mean any harm, but she has never gotten along with girls as well as she did with boys. It even took her a while to warm up to me, but now we're best friends." Kagami stuffed another burger in his mouth as Tetsumi reminisced on the pink haired analyst.

"You're the same way aren't you?" Kagami asked as he unwrapped another burger. He was about to take a bite out of it when he heard a whine. The redhead stopped and nearly dropped his bag of food when he saw Nigou staring up at him. "Nigou!" Kagami exclaimed as he jumped to the other side of Tetsumi.

"What is with your irrational fear of dogs?" Tetsumi asked with a giggle as Kagami peered over her head and glared down at the black and white dog. "You're going to give him a complex." She started walking again and Kagami watched her lead the way, but Nigou stayed in front of him, licking his lips and eyeing Kagami's burger.

"Well, what about the complex he's giving me?" Kagami asked as he side stepped, keeping his eyes on Nigou, who followed after him.

"You can't really be scared of my dog, he obviously likes you," Tetsumi said as she turned around, watching Nigou and Kagami have a stare down. The dog's was much more relaxed and happy while Kagami was more angry and challenging. "Just give him one of your burgers and then pet him."

Kagami glanced at Tetsumi, who gestured for him to do it. The redhead grumbled as he unwrapped a burger and looked to Nigou. With a deep breath, Kagami held the burger out to the husky and he happily took it from him. When his head was down as he chewed, Kagami cautiously patted the dog's head. Nigou wagged his tail and licked his lips as he finished the burger. Kagami quickly pulled away and eyed Nigou as he stared at him and tilted his head curiously. When he did that, Kagami had to admit he didn't look that scary.

"See, was that so hard?" Tetsumi asked with a giggle as she started walking again. Kagami snorted as he started walking and Nigou trotted along side him. The girl shook her head and stopped at the intersection they would need to cross to get to the park. When the light changed the three walked across the street and entered the park. "How are your legs?" Tetsumi asked, glancing at his legs before sipping on her shake again.

"I don't think they're 100 percent yet, but they will be by the game," Kagami said with a smile. "What that pink chick said, is she like in love with your dude or something?"

"No," Tetsumi answered with a shake of her head. "They're just childhood friends."

"I'm excited," Kagami declared. "I wanna play this guy, so bad."

"And you haven't even met him," Tetsumi chuckled.

"If he's anything like Midorima or Kise, I can't wait to kick his ass on the court," Kagami informed her, and Tetsumi smiled deciding to let her friend be over confident for a little but. It wasn't like Kagami couldn't beat Aomine, but Tetsumi had this sinking feeling in her gut that said he wasn't ready yet. Out of the hundreds of players Tetsumi's met between her middle school years to now, none of them were anything like Aomine. He was simply a different type of animal. Kagami was the same though, he had so much potential, but he still had a long way to go.

"I have faith in you, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi told him. The redhead looked down at her and smirked, feeling very proud of himself. She wasn't lying to him, Tetsumi had the utmost faith that Kagami would be the catalyst to change the Generation of Miracles. "If anyone can beat all the Generation of Miracles, it's going to be you." She smiled at him, and Kagami blushed a bit. He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly and thanked her for the compliment. Tetsumi nodded her head and continued walking straight down the path, but Kagami had stopped at the split.

His scarlet eyes stared down the other path, which led towards the public basketball courts. Riko had given him and Tetsumi explicit instructions to not play basketball until the day of the game. That was still a week away, and Kagami didn't think he could wait that long. He didn't think that one game would really hurt. Pursing his lips, Kagami turned to look down the path and started walking that way. Nigou whined and barked at him, causing him to jump and whirl around. Tetsumi turned around and furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Where are you going? Our apartments are this way," Tetsumi pointed out as she nodded in the direction she was heading.

"Let's go check out the basketball courts," Kagami suggested with a smile.

Tetsumi scoffed and shook her head. "That's a bad idea and you know it," she scolded. "If you go down there you're going to want to play and then you'll probably end up stressing your legs. Riko will find out and then kill you, is that what you want?"

Kagami frowned, looking sadly away from Tetsumi towards the basketball courts. He could practically hear them calling out to him. Despite Riko's instructions and tetsumi's warnings, Kagami started walking towards the basketball courts.

"Kagami-kun! Kagami-kun!" Tetsumi shouted after him and sighed in annoyance. Nigou looked to his owner and ran after Kagami. "Ugh, even my dog is going with him." She slapped a hand to her face and groaned as she followed after the two.

It only took about five minutes to arrive at the courts. Surprisingly enough, no one was around, which Tetsumi was relieved about. There was no one there to entice Kagami, so it probably wouldn't be hard to convince him they should just leave. Unfortunately by the time Tetsumi knew it, Kagami was pulling a basketball out of his gym bag and walking onto the court. The girl sighed as she walked over to the bench Kagami had put his stuff on and placed hers down as well.

"I do not condone this," Tetsumi said as she walked onto the court. Kagami looked at her and chuckled lightly as he dribbled the ball at the free throw mark and took a shot. The ball fell straight through the net with that perfect swish sound. "Just ten minutes, okay?" she asked and Kagami merely shrugged his shoulders in response. The girl rolled her eyes and grabbed the basketball, dribbling it as she walked over to Kagami.

Tetsumi dribbled over to the three point line and Kagami stepped aside to watch her. As she dribbled the ball, Tetsumi got into her form and took the shot. The ball bounced off the glass and fell into the hoop. Kagami clapped lightly and was about to go get the ball when Nigou went for it instead. The redhead scrunched up his nose and watched as the husky pushed it over to him. With a slight tilt of his head, Kagami knelt down and picked up the ball.

"I guess he likes basketball too," Tetsumi commented.

"Well maybe you aren't so bad then," Kagami said to the dog, who was watching the orange ball in Kagami's hand. The redhead noticed this and moved the ball from left to right. Nigou followed his every movement closely and sat on the ground. "Do you want the ball?" Kagami asked the dog curiously as he raised the ball up over his head. Nigou stood up and watched with excitement, which kind of scared Kagami so he brought it back down. The husky sat back down on the ground, but kept his blue eyes on the ball.

"I think he wants to play," Tetsumi said with a smile as she walked over to Kagami. "Throw it to him."

"It's too big, he can't catch this," Kagami stated, looking at Tetsumi like she was crazy.

"Just do it," Tetsumi retorted, waving for Kagami to do it.

"Fine, but if he pops it you're buying me another one," Kagami said as he lifted the ball over his he. Nigou stood back up and Kagami gently tossed the ball towards him. The husky jumped onto his hind legs and hit the ball with his nose, causing it to fly back to Kagami. Tetsumi laughed as Kagami stared at the ball then to Nigou. "Okay, how about this." Kagami dribbled the ball and Nigou watched closely as Kagami passed the ball to him again. The husky hit the ball with his nose again and Kagami caught it, taking a shot for the hoop. When the ball feel through the net, Nigou brought the ball back by pushing it to them with his nose.

"Good boy, Nigou!" Tetsumi praised as she knelt dog and scratched the dog behind the ear as she picked up the ball.

"Alright, Nigou I take back all the nasty thoughts and things I said about you," Kagami said with a smile and Nigou yipped happily. "Come on, Munchkin let's play."

"Just for a little bit," Tetsumi agreed as she watched Kagami dribble the ball. He turned back around to face her and she got into a defensive stance. Nigou moved off the court and sat down by the baseline, watching the two play a little one-on-one match. "Is that the best you got, Kagami-kun?" Tetsumi teased as she dribbled the ball, trying to get past him. The redhead had no plan in letting her pass him though.

"Bring it on, Munchkin!" Kagami shot back with a devilish smile. He moved closer towards her, practically hovering over her. Tetsumi turned her back and pressed her arm against his torso to get him away from her. She smirked when an idea came into her head, it would be devious, but she couldn't resist the urge to play a little trick on him.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Tetsumi squeaked, even though she wasn't in any sort of pain.

"What? What? What?" Kagami asked as he held his hands up and took two steps away from her.

Tetsumi beamed brightly as she turned around and made a perfect shot into the hoop. When she looked at Kagami, his mouth had fallen wide open and the girl chuckled. "I can't believe you fell for that!" Tetsumi burst into a fit of laughter as she held onto her sides and shook her head.

"I can't believe you would stoop that low!" Kagami barked back, but Tetsumi continued to laugh even more. "Ridiculous, now it's on, Munchkin! I was going to go easy on you, but now...it's pay back time!" The redhead shook his head and turned around to go get the basketball, but stopped to see a tanned teen with short dark blue hair holding the basketball in his hand and kneeling down beside Nigou, patting the husky's head affectionately.

"Oh that was priceless, you should have seen your face, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi said as she finally composed herself. "What's wrong?" she asked him with a raised brow and followed his line of sight towards the base line corner pocket. Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw Aomine petting her dog.

"That's a good boy," Aomine said to the husky as he stood up. He held the ball out with a single hand and stared right at Kagami. "Let's play a little one on one." He tossed the ball forcefully at Kagami, who caught it with both hands, holding it steady in front of his chest. Tetsumi sighed in annoyance and placed her hands on her hips.

"Maybe you should introduce yourself first," Kagami recommended haughtily, causing Aomine to smirk. "I don't take orders from strangers, especially ones that piss me off."

"I don't care if I pissed you off, when I say play, you just play," Aomine stated firmly.

"Dai-kun!" Tetsumi scolded.

"Not right now, Shorty," Aomine replied before she could interrupt. His eyes were wild, which surprised Tetsumi a bit. She hadn't seen that look in his eyes for a while now. "He's your new light right? Kagami Taiga." Aomine smirked as he took a step forward and glared at Kagami, who glared right back at him.

"So that makes you Aomine Daiki," Kagami assumed.

"That's right, now let's play already now that we're all introduced," Aomine suggested.

"Dai-kun!" Tetsumi huffed.

"No," Kagami said, placing a hand on Tetsumi's shoulder. "I'll play him, it'll be my pleasure."

"Kagami-kun!" Tetsumi groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "This is a bad idea, Dai-kun isn't like other players."

"Good," Kagami said, his eyes fixed on the ace player of the Generation of Miracles. Tetsumi shook her head upon realizing there would be no way to stop those two basketball junkies. She held her hands up to suggest she gave up and moved off the court.

"Let's see if you're worthy of being, Tetsumi's light," Aomine said with narrowed eyes.


	33. LIGHTS

**Author's Note: **Good Day readers! I just wrote this chapter, I have had very little time to work on this. I'm sure there is a lot of mistakes and I apologize profusely for that! However, I wanted to keep up with the schedule. I might only start updating this piece only on Sunday's while I'm attending school. Anyways, I really hope you all enjoy this chapter and thank you all so much for your wonderful support! All of you that review and favorite this story and me are the best. By the way, I have another one-shot up called **Captain** which is about Kaijo's team for those of you who are interested! Until next time everyone, love ya!

* * *

**LIGHTS**

She was anxious as she watched Aomine and Kagami on the court. The tanned player was dressed in black shorts and a white t-shirt; it was like he had just gone to practice. He rolled his head on his shoulders and narrowed his navy blue eyes at Kagami. Tetsumi didn't want them to have a one-on-one match. Aomine had this ability to either break people or make them fight until they dropped. He had managed to do that to Kise in the past, even herself, and now he would do it to Kagami. The redhead was, after all, easily enticed. She wanted to stop them, but it would be pointless. Tetsumi knew that no matter what she said or did, those two were going to play.

Nigou whined at her side and she looked down at her dog. She agreed with him, things were not going to go well. As she patted his head, Tetsumi hoped that neither one would hurt each other. Of course, Kagami's legs were still in bad shape. They were better than what they were, but playing excessively would put him right back at square one. No amount of protesting would change his mind either.

"Kagami-kun!" Tetsumi called out just before they began. The redhead looked over to her, and Tetsumi sighed softly. "Don't over do it." He smirked and nodded his head before dribbling the ball in his hand. Aomine lowered himself into a defensive stance, watching Kagami with calculating eyes. Tetsumi didn't like the look on his face at all, Aomine wasn't just sizing Kagami up, he wanted to tear him down.

"First to make three shots," Kagami said as he tried to get around Aomine, but he stopped him. The redhead smirked and stepped back, dribbling the ball at his side. Aomine's eyes flicked from Kagami's scarlet eyes down to the ball.

"This will be a short game," Aomine replied with arrogance. In a flash, Aomine lunged forward and ripped the ball away from Kagami. Tetsumi closed her eyes as Aomine made a fade away shot. When she heard the sound of the net, she opened her eyes and looked at Kagami. The redhead looked surprised, but took the ball and started dribbling.

They started playing again, Kagami managed to get around Aomine. When he went to make a shot, Aomine blocked the ball and slammed it down. The redhead landed on the ground and went to get the ball, but Aomine beat him too it. Switching gears, Kagami started playing defensively, trying to stop Aomine. Unfortunately for Kagami, Aomine was not one that was easily stopped. Sometimes, Tetsumi liked to think of Aomine as a slippery bar of soap. He was hard to block, hard to catch, and hard to get around.

It was a true battle between the two, and Tetsumi had to be honest, Kagami was holding him off fairly well. She was impressed that he was doing as well as he was. By no means was he giving Aomine a true challenge, but Aomine wasn't exactly slacking off either. Kagami jumped, blocking Aomine's shot. Tetsumi's eyes widened slightly when she noticed that Kagami flinched a bit upon landing. She knew in that moment that Kagami was in pain still, which worried her.

Kagami and Aomine weaved through each other, trying to stop one another. The ball was in Kagami's possession and Aomine was successfully holding him back. Sweat beaded on Kagami's forehead and arms. The tanned teen stole the ball from Kagami and took a shot, but Kagami didn't block that one. Tetsumi knew that he was in pain, but the redhead would never admit it.

When he had the ball again, Aomine watched him closely. Kagami managed to break around Aomine, but when he went to take the shot, Aomine blocked the shot again. Glaring at Aomine, Kagami muttered a curse under his breath and wiped the sweat on his brow. The ace player watched as Kagami dribbled the ball behind his back. Aomine lost Kagami for a split second as he whipped around him and drove for the basket. Kagami came to a complete halt when Aomine appeared before him. The tanned teen stole the ball at the last second. Kagami tried to get it back, but Aomine's fancy moves were too fast and perfectly timed. He slipped around Kagami, but the redhead wasn't going to give up that easily.

Tetsumi's mouth started to fall open as she watched the two. She blinked a few times and shook her head. Aomine jumped up and dunked the ball into the hoop and Kagami stumbled back. He panted heavily and stared at Aomine in shock. His power and strength was startling, and Tetsumi could see that Kagami had finally come to terms with the power of the Generation of Miracles. Kise and Midorima were strong players, powerful players, but Aomine was the ace of the group. It was the clashing of two lights, but Aomine's light was far brighter.

"You're a joke," Aomine said after a few moments of stillness and silence passed over them. Tetsumi sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. She didn't understand Aomine and his need to push people down even further. Thankfully, Kagami wasn't easily discouraged, but that still didn't make it right for Aomine to belittle his opponents no matter who they were. "Your light is far too dim to ever be able to utilize, Tetsu's true strength. That will be your down fall, and I'll be sure I'm the one to do it."

"Dai-kun," Tetsumi scolded as she walked over to the two. "This incessant need of yours to put other players down is unnecessary, especially when it's one of my teammates." She narrowed her eyes at him, and Aomine scoffed with a roll of his eyes.

"I said it before and I will say it again," Aomine said, looking down at Tetsumi. He reached for her hair and gently stroked it in an affectionate manner. "You're wasting your time with this pathetic—"

"Stop!" Tetsumi snapped, slapping his hand away.

Aomine flinched a bit. It was unlike her to snap at him and push him away. She had yelled at him before, but never had she actually slapped his hands away. His eyes drifted over to Kagami and he glared darkly at him. The redhead stared back at him, but more with a look of intrigue. Tetsumi noticed this and titled her head slightly.

"Ha! I should have figured this out sooner," Tetsumi scoffed as she threw her hands up and shook her head. Aomine and Kagami both looked at her in confusion. The girl placed her hands on her hips and licked her lips. "You're jealous," Tetsumi deadpanned as she stared right into Aomine's eyes.

"Jealous?" the ace asked with a scoff. "Of who? Him?" Aomine asked as he nodded towards Kagami, who was about to say something, but Tetsumi shushed him. The redhead frowned and glared at Tetsumi.

"Yes," Tetsumi replied as she looked away from Kagami and to Aomine, who snickered. "And you need to stop because Kagami-kun is my teammate and Seirin is my team now, we're rivals on the court Aomine. We're too different when it comes to basketball, we can't play on the same team. That does not, however mean we can't be friends…" she trailed off a bit and stepped closer to him, "or more." Tetsumi smiled up at him and pushed herself up onto her toes. Her lips gently pressed against his cheek and she went flat on her feet.

Kagami rolled his eyes and shook his head, waving the two off as he walked over to get his basketball. "I'm not trying to steal your girl," Kagami assured Aomine with a simple shrug. He picked up his basketball and rolled it back and forth on the top of his hand. "Besides, she's made her choice." Kagami looked at Tetsumi, who smiled weakly at him and nodded slowly.

"That doesn't change my opinion of you," Aomine snorted, and Tetsumi scowled as she jabbed him in the ribs. The tanned player grabbed her wrist and pushed her away. He locked eyes with her and she mouthed for him to stop. Aomine shrugged his shoulders and looked back at Kagami, who chuckled lightly.

"Don't worry, I'll make you change it," Kagami said as he rested his basketball on his hip. "But while we're stating our opinions, I think you're an asshole."

"Kagami-kun! Not helping," Tetsumi snapped at him.

"Sorry Munchkin," Kagami replied half-heartedly with a shrug. "I'll see you on the court, Aomine." He turned around and walked over to the bench. When he picked up his things, Kagami looked at Tetsumi. "That girl by the way, really, really likes you. Don't screw it up."

Tetsumi stifled a laugh and brushed her hair behind her ear. She would have to thank Kagami later for that. As she watched him walk away, she turned her attention back to Aomine. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw Aomine sending death glares in Kagami's direction. Tetsumi shook her head and grabbed Aomine's shirt collar and yanked him down. He was startled at first, but the moment her lips were on his, he relaxed.

Tetsumi smiled against the kiss and snaked her arms around his neck. Aomine's hands moved to her hips and gripped her tight. It was the kind of kiss she wanted to have with him all the time. After a few more seconds, the two pulled apart for air. The girl's hands slowly moved to his chest and she went flat on her feet again. Aomine gently caressed the side of her face and she closed her eyes, turning to his touch.

"I don't like him," Aomine said.

Tetsumi rolled her eyes and laughed as she rested her heard against Aomine's chest. "That's weird cause he's like you in a lot of ways." When she pulled away from him, she bit her lip and sighed. "So what now?" she asked him, hoping he would ask her the one question she'd been wanting him to ask for so long.

Aomine blushed a bit and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Tetsumi chuckled a bit at his mannerisms and turned on her heels. As she started walking away, Aomine grabbed her hand and pulled her back. She spun around and collided with his muscled chest. He looked deeply into her eyes and smiled at her. "I'm not even going to ask," Aomine said to her and she tilted her head in confusion. "Your mine and that's all there is too it."

"Oh so you're saying I don't get a choice?" Tetsumi asked, pretending to be a little offended.

"That is exactly it," Aomine replied with a single firm nod.

Tetsumi chuckled and shook her head as she wrapped her arms around Aomine's waist. "I guess being yours wouldn't be that bad," she teased.

Aomine smirked as he picked her up and spun her around. Tetsumi squealed and placed her hands on his shoulders. When he stopped spinning he slowly lowered her down and kissed her forehead. His lips lingered there for several moments before he pulled away, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "I want you to be my girlfriend, Tetsumi," he whispered in her ear, causing the girl to smile and blush.

"I'll be you're girlfriend, Dai-kun," she said, putting a huge smile on Aomine's face as he captured her lips in another sweet kiss.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Kiyoshi Teppei was elated for two reasons. One reason being he was finally done with his physical therapy and the second reason was because he was cleared to play basketball again. He could finally go back to his team and help get them to the finals. His doctor had advised him to be careful though for one wrong move and he would end up in the hospital again. That kind of news was not exactly wanted to hear, but it was to be expected. Both of his knees had been heavily damaged last year.

"Teppei-kun," he heard someone say after a small knock. The tall brown-haired teen with thick brows put a smile on his face and turned around to find his doctor. She was a small woman, but then again most people where small compared to him. "How are you feeling today?" she asked him.

Dr. Jin was a great woman, who treated each of her patients as if they were one of her own family members. Her hair was normally up in a perfect ballerina bun and she usually adorned mint green scrubs with her crisp white lab coat over it. She had big brown eyes that always noticed subtle changes in patients' expressions.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but it's going to be so nice not to see you every single day," Kiyoshi explained honestly with a small laugh. The woman chuckled too and agreed with him. "I owe you and Akinishi-san a lot for all the help over this past year."

"Not at all," Dr. Jin replied with a wave of her hand. "You've been one of my more pleasant long-term patients."

"Well I will miss our card games," Akinishi, a woman in light blue scrubs, explained as she walked into the room. "What are you going to do for your first day of actual freedom?" she asked as she tied her hair up into a ponytail.

Kiyoshi looked at the clock on the wall in his small hospital room. Well, it wouldn't really be his for much longer. It was the big day for Seirin, the day they would be facing off against Tōō Academy. Riko had come to talk to him about it a few days ago, saying that Aomine Daiki was the powerhouse of all high school basketball in Tokyo. She mentioned she was worried about what would happen on the court. Kiyoshi wanted to go support his team.

"I'm going to cheer my team on for a game," Kiyoshi replied with a soft smile. "If they win today they'll be on their way to the championships of the Inter-High." Dr. Jin and Akinishi both knew a lot about basketball thanks to Kiyoshi, who spent many hours telling them about it.

"We wish your team the best of luck, Teppei-kun," Dr. Jin said with a smile, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Remember though, when you start playing again don't over do it."

"I promise I won't," Kiyoshi assured them both with a confident grin.

"Lair," Akinishi chuckled as she hugged the teen. "But thanks for trying," she said softly as she patted his back and pulled away from him. Kiyoshi laughed innocently and scratched the side of his cheek with his finger.

"Teppei-kun," Dr. Jin said, turning the conversation for light-hearted to grave and serious. Akinishi and Kiyoshi both looked at the woman as she stood up a little straighter. "In all seriousness," she began as she tucked Kiyoshi's charts under her arm, "This may very well be the last time you play basketball. You are going against medical advice to play again without surgery."

"You cleared me, Dr. Jin," Kiyoshi pointed out with a shrug of his shoulders. "Without the surgery."

"I did, because if you don't play basketball competitively you will be fine for another couple of years," Dr. Jin clarified as she sat down on the edge of Kiyoshi's bed. "However the surgery will need to happen, and if you play competitively, which I know you will and you will push yourself too far, you risk more permanent damage."

Kiyoshi stared at his doctor for a moment before looking down at the ground. He understood the risks, and he knew that Dr. Jin was against him leaving without the surgery. Kiyoshi did the year of physical therapy like she had suggested, he took medicine, and rested his knees to almost good as new condition. In spite of all that though, surgery would eventually be a requirement. The problem was if he did have the surgery there were no guarantee he could play again. That was a risk he was willing to take at the moment.

"I know doing the surgery would probably be the better option than physical therapy. The thing is though, I want to play with my team and I only have this year left to do it on my own terms," Kiyoshi explained sincerely with a soft smile. "I'll be careful, Dr. Jin, count on it."

"Alright," Dr. Jin said with a small sigh as she stood up from the bed. "As long as you know what you're risking."

"There are always risks and odds and probabilities," Kiyoshi replied and the woman looked at him. "But sometimes you just gotta forget about all of that and do what you feel is right."

"I bet you give good pep talks to your teammates," Dr. Jin commented with a laugh as she patted Kiyoshi on the shoulder. She walked to the door and stopped before turning around to look at him. "I better not see you in here with broken knees, Teppei-kun," she warned him and he smirked. "The next time you're in here I want you to want your surgery, I do want you to need it for being stupid." She waved a finger at him and turned around leaving Kiyoshi and Akinishi in his room for the last time.

"I'm going to miss you guys," Kiyoshi said as he finished packing up his things and zipped up his bag. "I'm gonna miss the rumors too."

"I'll keep you posted on all the dirty gossip," Akinishi giggled. "Wheelchair is customary—"

"I think I'd much rather walk out of the hospital, Akinishi-san," Kiyoshi interrupted as he held a hand up to silence her.

"Great choice," she said as she ignored the wheelchair tucked into the corner of the room. "Let's get you out of this place."

* * *

-###-

* * *

Tetsumi stared at a blank spot on her wall. Today was the day she would be facing off against Aomine. She would be lying if she didn't admit she wasn't scared. Going against Aomine was what she had wanted for a long time, but now that it was finally banging on the door she wanted to back out. They were dating now and had been for about four days. It wasn't a long time at all, but she had wanted to be with him for so long. Now that it was finally happening she didn't want things to get in the way, that's why she hadn't even told Seirin and essentially begged Kagami to keep his mouth shut until after the game.

The redhead teased her for an entire day about it, but once she got really mad, he apologized and swore his lips were sealed. That made her feel better, but she worried about what would happen if her team one. Actually, she wondered what would happen if he won or worse if she got injured while playing. Everything Akashi said was playing over and over in her mind, but then she thought about what Kagami said.

"Munchkin!" Kagami hollered as he knocked on the front door of her apartment. "Hey! Come on! Open up!"

The girl sighed as she stood up from her spot on the floor. She walked out of her bedroom and to the front door. When she pulled it open, Kagami walked in wearing his sweat pants and Seirin jacket unzipped. He dropped his bag on the floor and kicked off his shoes.

"Do you have any food? I'm starving, or we could go to Maji Burger," Kagami said as he made his way to the kitchen. He opened up the fridge and poked around, Tetsumi rolled her eyes and waved him off. She was actually quite used to her teammates barging in and stealing her food. Her mother always had the fridge and pantry fully stocked because when she was in Teiko, the regulars always came over and feasted after practice. "What's wrong? Aren't you excited about the game today?" Kagami asked her as he walked out of her kitchen, holding a slice of pizza from last night's dinner she had with Aomine.

"I'm scared actually," Tetsumi answered honestly as she sat down at the table. Kagami frowned and sat down across from her. "I don't want to be, but I am." She ran her fingers through her hair and sputtered as she rested her head against the table.

"You weren't scared of Kise and Midorima, Aomine is no different," Kagami said with a shrug as he stuffed the pizza slice into his mouth. He went back to the kitchen and just brought the whole pizza box back with him. "Besides, I thought you wanted to play him."

"I do, but we're dating now and—"

"And what?" Kagami snorted as he stuffed another slice of pizza into his mouth. "Whoof blares?"

"Kagami-kun don't talk with your mouth full," Tetsumi chided as she took the pizza box away from him. The redhead frowned with his cheeks stuffed like a chipmunks. He chewed and swallowed quickly before going back into the kitchen for a third time to get something to drink.

"Look, all I'm saying is if he breaks up with you because we win then he honestly doesn't deserve you, and if you break up with him if he wins then I'm going to be passing judgment," Kagami explained as he walked back to the table and sat down with a bottle of soda. He twisted the top off of the bottle and took a sip.

"Well thank you for that," Tetsumi said with an eye roll. "But neither one of us would break up with each other."

"Then what are you worried about?" Kagami asked.

"I'm worried I'll get hurt and he want talk to me after," Tetsumi explained.

"Munchkin," Kagami sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "We've been over this, getting hurt happens. You just go and play and that's all there is to it." He grabbed his bottle of soda and took another quick sip. "Now, how about we go get a vanilla shake from Maji Burger? That always cheers you up." Kagami stood up and placed his hand on her head, ruffling up her hair.

"Again with the hair ruffling!" Tetsumi snapped as she waved his hand away. "Nigou! Bite him!"

"Hey!" Kagami yelped and scrambled into the kitchen when Nigou came charging after him. Tetsumi started laughing as Kagami climbed onto the kitchen counter and shooed the dog away. "Nigou! I thought we were friends now." The husky barked at him and wagged his tail, lowering his front half to the ground while looking up at Kagami playfully.

"Okay, Nigou," Tetsumi said as she walked into the kitchen and looked up at the redhead on the kitchen counter. "He learned his lesson." She knelt down beside the dog and patted his head. Nigou sat down and went quiet, but continued to watch Kagami.

"Using your dog to attack me," Kagami scoffed as he got off of the counter and pressed his back against it as he slid past the husky. "And here I was going to buy you a vanilla shake."

"You should still buy me one," Tetsumi said with a smile.

Kagami sputtered and started laughing. "After you have your dog attack me, I don't think so."

"But I didn't tell Riko that you played basketball," Tetsumi pointed out and Kagami looked at her in disbelief before laughing.

"You can't use that one," Kagami said with a wave of his finger. "You already used that one on me to keep my mouth shut about you and that asshole dating."

Tetsumi frowned. "But I'm sad remember?" She gave him a pouty lip and a teary eyed look, causing Kagami to rolled his scarlet eyes.

"Oh geez," Kagami sighed as he put his hands on his hips. "Alright, enough with the face let's go." He nodded towards the door and Tetsumi smiled happily as she went to put on her shoes.


	34. BEGIN

**Author's Note: **The big game is finally here! I hope that you guys like this chapter, and I apologize for any typos/grammar errors you may encounter while reading. Also, I have a new one shot called **Fearless, **which is a Fem!Kuroko and Kagami one-shot that is not related to this story, but I wrote it for those of you who like the KagaKuro pairing. Please feel free to request a one-shot, I'd be happy to try my hand at it. Anyways, please enjoy this chapter and tell me what you think! Your comments and messages inspire me to write more.

* * *

**BEGIN**

Momoi Satsuki made her way to the locker rooms where the team was getting ready for the game against Seirin. The game was going to begin in fifteen minutes, giving her just enough time to review the information she had given them. She had spent countless hours studying Seirin's style and theorizing their growth. Her data was usually always correct, so she had no doubt Seirin would be defeated. They were a good team though she couldn't deny that. The way they had grown in such a short time was commendable, but they still hadn't hit their full stride. Kagami and Tetsumi were still learning the second year's plays and vise-versa.

Momoi wasn't too worried about any of that. Tetsumi had always been difficult for her to figure out and it was probably because Tetsumi made it her objective to be unpredictable. While Tetsumi usually only passed and stole the ball from players, it wasn't like she couldn't shake things up. Her versatility made it hard for Momoi to pinpoint exactly what she would do. Kagami was a hot head and very much like Aomine, he was fast, powerful, and his jumping power was amazing. The redhead would be a tough match, but he hadn't reached his full potential just yet. Momoi wouldn't underestimate him though. Kagami had this knack for changing everything when it really mattered.

When she reached the locker room door, Momoi knocked and announced she was coming in. She pushed the door open and smiled, greeting everyone as she closed it quietly. Her dark pink eyes looked over to regulars of the team along with the bench. She raised a brow and looked around again. Momoi sighed when she realized Aomine was not in the locker room, which was concerning. The coach, Harasawa Katsunori, was sitting on the bench with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Do you know where our prodigal player is?" the coach inquired, playing with a strand of his wavy black hair. Momoi's mouth opened, but she quickly closed it and shook her head.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Sakurai Ryo exasperated, bowing several times where he stood. "He was in my class, I should have made sure he came. I'm sorry, sorry, sorry!"

"Oi! Oi! It's alright, stop apologizing," Imayoshi Shoichi chided as he waved a hand at Sakurai. The brown haired apologetic player didn't listen though and continued to apologize. "Sakurai, stop, now's it's just annoying." Imayoshi placed his hand on Sakurai's shoulder and finally got the younger teen to stop. Sighing in relief, Imayoshi sat down on one of the benches in the locker room and turned to Momoi.

"I'll find him, you guys just worry about the game," Momoi assured them as she pulled her cell phone out of her light green sweater. She walked out of the locker room and called Aomine. When she put the phone to her ear, she started pacing up and down the hallway.

"_Hello?_" Aomine drawled tiredly over the phone.

"Dai-chan! Where are you? The game is starting in ten minutes!" Momoi scolded him over the phone and stopped pacing. "Don't tell me you forgot!" the pinkette exclaimed.

"_No, I didn't forget_," Aomine replied with a yawn. "_I fell asleep._"

"You fell asleep!" Momoi screeched and slapped a hand onto her face. She was about to scold him, but Imayoshi came over to her and plucked the phone from her hand.

"Aomine, how fast can you get here?" Imayoshi asked him as he stood beside Momoi.

"_Imayoshi? Uh, probably the second half,_" Aomine guessed as he stood up from where he was laying. "_It's just Seirin, you can handle them for the first half can't you_?" Aomine asked with a chuckle as he slung the strap of his bag onto his shoulder.

"Don't underestimate them, Aomine. Isn't the one girl from your old team?" Imayoshi asked with a slight cackle. "We'll handle it, but just hurry up and get here." With those words, Imayoshi hung up the phone and handed it over to Momoi.

"Imayoshi-kun," Momoi said before he could walk away. The dark hair man looked at her and tilted his head slightly. "Be careful with Tetsumi-chan, she may be a girl and small, but she's not some pushover."

Imayoshi chuckled and pushed his glasses up slightly. "Don't worry, Momoi-san," the young man said as he started walking back towards the locker rooms. "I never underestimate my opponents."

Momoi watched the captain of the team walk away. She sighed softly and followed him back to the locker room. Imayoshi was a calm captain; he was a calm player, all around Imayoshi rarely panicked. Momoi didn't have any doubt that Imayoshi would take the information she'd given to him and use it to his full advantage. The entire team would probably do that; after all they were a team of strong individuals. Their styles were nothing like Seirin coordinated team play. Tōō Academy functioned on one thing ruthless individual play.

* * *

-###-

* * *

"How are your legs?" Tetsumi asked as she walked over to Kagami. They were out of the court, the game was starting in five minutes and the stands were nearly full. Kagami looked at Tetsumi and down at his legs. He shrugged his shoulders and started dribbling a basketball. The girl narrowed her eyes at him and caught the ball, holding it away from him. "They're hurting aren't they?" she inquired.

"They aren't 100 percent, but I'll be fine. Don't worry, Munchkin." Kagami put a hand on her head and quickly snatched the ball away. Tetsumi scoffed and fixed up her ponytail that Kagami had effectively ruined. "Besides this is your—"

"Don't say it," Tetsumi scolded with a wave of her finger.

"You're right, I should say it to his face," Kagami smirked as he walked in the direction of the others teams bench. Tetsumi called to him, but the redhead didn't bother stopping. However, when he noticed that Aomine wasn't among the other team's players he walked over to a tall blond. "Uh, excuse me. Where's Aomine?"

The blond straightened up and turned to look at Kagami. "That bastard fell asleep, so now he's late."

"He's not here?" Kagami asked with a raised brow.

"Wait, he fell asleep?" Tetsumi chimed in nearly about to laugh. That honestly didn't surprise her in the least. Aomine was always so lazy when it came to practice and games. It was a chore just to get him in a locker room, but she was also partially insulted since it was their first official match together. "Unbelievable," Tetsumi huffed when the blond, Wakamatsu Kosuke, nodded his head.

"He'll be here by the second half, just think of us as the opening act," Imayoshi said as he walked over with his jacket draped over his shoulders. "So go easy on us."

"Can't say I'm surprised," Tetsumi muttered with an eye roll. "I would never go easy on you though, Imayoshi-kun. You're no better than Hanamiya Makoto."

"What ever do you mean?" Imayoshi asked with a fake laugh. "Hanamiya is pure evil, I just exploit other players weaknesses."

"Well at least we agree one thing," Tetsumi said with a small smile. "But you're a step below him."

"When did you find a spine, Kuroko-san?" Imayoshi asked.

"Hey," Kagami intervened, becoming quite annoyed with the way Imayoshi was talking to his teammate in a holier-than-thou tone. "Save it for the court, come on Munchkin." He grabbed Tetsumi's wrist and pulled her back towards the Seirin bench where the whole team had been watching.

"Do you know that guy?" Hyuga asked when Kagami and Tetsumi reached them.

"We've met a couple of times," Tetsumi explained as she looked back at Imayoshi, who was talking to Wakamatsu. "He's not a bad person, he just has evil tendencies." The girl laughed lightly and looked back at her team.

"You've played him before?" Riko asked.

"No, I just watched him during my first year of middle school," Tetsumi replied with a shake of her head. "He's a genius, we'll need to be careful with him."

Riko nodded in agreement and gathered everyone at the bench. The game was just about to start, so she wanted to give the team a little encouragement before they proceeded. When everyone gathered around, Riko looked at all of them and put a serious look on her face. "With Aomine-kun not here, this is our prime opportunity to build a point gap," she said, and everyone agreed with her. "Don't leave any space for mistakes, every point counts. While our opponent's team is new to the circuit, these players should not be taken lightly. We don't know what they are fully capable of, so be on your guard."

"The coach is right, let's build a gap and hit them hard," Hyuga agreed as he looked amongst his team. "Seirin, fight!"

Everyone chorused together in the team's chant and broke apart just as the referee called both teams onto the court. Riko watched as Hyuga, Izuki, Mitobe, Kagami, and Tetsumi walked onto the court and prayed that they would be able to build a point gap before Aomine arrived. She had heard a lot about him from tetsumi during practices and she had even reviewed their points from previous games. Needless to say, Riko was worried that if they didn't take advantage of his absence there was a good chance this would be the end of the line for them in the Inter-High.

"You okay, coach?" Furihata asked, upon noticing Riko rigid stance. She blinked a few times and looked at the first year.

"I'm fine," she replied with a kind smile as she walked to the bench and sat down. Furihata sat beside her and looked at the two teams as they prepared to jump for the ball. "No mistakes, guys," Riko whispered to herself, but Furihata heard her and looked a bit worried. In his hands he held the statistics of Tōō Academy.

According to the stats on the paper, Tōō Academy games were always well over 100 points. That meant only one thing they were an offensive team, much like Seirin. Furihata looked up to the regulars and wished them a silent good luck as Kagami and the blond from the other team stood in the center of the court. The referee tossed the ball up and just like that the game had begun.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Midorima leaned against the railing at the top of the first level of on-lookers. It was already five minutes into the game and Seirin was struggling to keep up. The fact that they were keeping up at all was a surprise to him. While Midorima didn't know much about Aomine's team, he did know a few key players on the team.

Imayoshi Shoichi was one hell of a point guard and was more of a psychological opponent than a physical one. He spent most of his teams exploiting the weakness of his opponents. There was also a sharp three point shooter, who was very good at quick release. Midorima deemed himself as the best shooter in Japan, of course, but this Sakurai Ryo would be a worthy shoot out opponent. His shooting abilities were better than Seirin's Hyuga Junpei, but Sakurai also seemed far more timid and easily pushed around. The final player that seemed to be a threat was Wakamatsu Kosuke. He was volatile like Kagami and powerful on defense.

His green eyes glanced over to Tetsumi, who had been pretty vital in the game. She had managed to get a couple of steals in, but even at that Tōō Academy got them back twice as fast and twice as hard. The clock was ticking they would need to come up with a better strategy then what they had going. As it was Aomine wasn't even present yet, but when he arrived Midorima was positive that he would destroy Seirin without any hesitation.

"Midorimacchi?"

The green haired teen force and mentally cursed. Of all the people that could have spotted him it just had to be Kise Ryota. Well, it could have been worst, it could have been Takao instead. Not that Midorima particularly minded Takao, but sometimes he would be perfectly okay with throwing him from the top of a roof.

"What's with the sunglasses? We're inside. And what's that box?" Kise asked as he walked forward and leaned on the railing beside him.

Midorima sighed and looked to Kise, who was giving him a questioning stare. "It's my lucky item for today," he explained to the blond before looking back down at the game.

"And the sunglasses? You hiding from your team? I don't see why, they're just over there," Kise said, pointing across the way where the Shutoku regulars were sitting together one section over at the first row closest to the court floor. "Besides, the sunglasses aren't making you incognito if that's what you're trying."

"And where's your team?" Midorima asked as he removed his sunglasses.

"Resting at home, we have a game here tomorrow," Kise replied as he looked down at the scoreboard. "They're behind, that's not good."

"And Aomine isn't even playing yet," Midorima commented, which caused Kise to look a bit surprised. "Kagami's legs aren't fully healed, he isn't moving as well as he did when he faced my team."

Kise glanced at Midorima then turned his attention to the redhead he spoke of. Sure enough, Kagami seemed a bit stiff, but it was hardly noticeable. His golden eyes then fell onto Tetsumi, who was in possession of the ball. She was trying to find an opening, but Tōō wasn't giving her any room. As she dribbled the ball, Tetsumi managed to break free from Imayoshi, but when she went for a shot Wakamatsu blocked it. The blue haired girl stumbled back a bit and watched as Tōō raced back down the court and scored another two points making it a ten point lead.

"I thought they would have done better than this," Kise mused as he watched Seirin get two points back. "Especially since Aominecchi isn't here yet."

"It isn't exactly like they're pushovers, this team is offensive just like Seirin," Midorima pointed out as he watched the point gap become wider again. He watched Tetsumi and could tell she was playing harder than she usually did. It made him a little worried because of her knee, but he kept it to himself. As it was, Tetsumi seemed to be handling it just fine. "This match was decided before it even began."

"You said like Akashicchi," Kise grumbled. "Have a little more faith in them, they defeated you."

"And you as well," Midorima shot back.

"That was a practice game," Kise clarified with a wave of his hand. "That doesn't count."

"A loss is a loss, Kise," Midorima intoned, causing the blond to snort in response. "When Aomine gets here he'll rip them apart."

"You think he can, Tetsucchi has probably told her team what he is capable of," Kise said, looking to Midorima. The green haired man shook his head and watched the game closely, but his eyes slowly drifted to a certain pink haired woman sitting on Tōō Academy's bench.

"Regardless, they have Momoi," Midorima stated firmly as he watched the pink haired woman observing the game with a watchful eye. She wasn't a joke, while she didn't play on the court, her ability to analyze players growth and changes was impeccable. Any team would be lucky to have Momoi as an assistant coach/manager. Her research was hardly ever wrong and her intuition was even better.

"Ah, I forgot about that, but even so do you honestly believe that Momoicchi and Aominecchi will play that harsh against Tetsucchi?" Kise inquired.

"Didn't you?" Midorima asked with a raised brow. "Besides, I doubt Tetsumi-chan would appreciate any of us going easy on her. She has something to prove remember?"

Kise nodded his head silently and watched as Kagami dunked the ball in. When he landed on the ground, Kise noticed he flinched a bit before running back to the other end of the court with his team. If Seirin lost their ace player, Kise would have to agree with Midorima there was no chance of them winning. He wanted to root for the underdog, but honestly they weren't strong enough to face Aomine and that was pure fact. Kise himself had a hard time with Aomine never once beating him in a one-on-one match. It looked like Seirin had their work cut out for them.

"If Kagamicchi doesn't fall before Aominecchi get's here," Kise paused as he watched Kagami block Wakamatsu from making a rebound. "Aominecchi will force him too."

"Indeed," Midorima agreed with a single nod just as the first quarter buzzer sound it's end. "Seirin at sixteen and Tōō at twenty-eight, they better get it together if they plan not losing by a landslide."

Kise couldn't help, but agree as he watched both teams return to their respective benches to take a break.

* * *

-###-

* * *

The violet haired giant walked around aimlessly in the food court, looking for his friend. He had a lollipop in his mouth a soda in one hand a two bags of candies in his other hand. His amethyst eyes scanned the area and even though he had an impressive height advantage, Murasakibara was certain that his friend had been either kidnapped or left him. Thankfully, he had his candies to keep him satisfied, but he knew he needed to find him friend. As he wandered towards the stairs that led to the heart of the stadium, Murasakibara could here the loud cheers and the squeaking of basketball shoes.

The moment he got to the top of the stairs, he spotted his friend leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed over his chest. The violet haired giant walked beside him and greeted him calmly as he munched on his snacks.

"Atsushi," Himuro Tatsuya greeted with a single nod. "Sorry, I should have waited for you."

"Why are you so excited about this game, Muro-chin?" Murasakibara inquired, ignoring the dark haired teen's apology.

"Because my brother is playing," Himuro responded as he pointed to the redhead on the court. Murasakibara followed Himuro's finger and realized that was Tetsumi's new team playing. "Though it looks like this will be the end of the line for his team."

Himuro Tatsuya was a second year at Yosen High School and had just recently moved to Japan after having been in America. He never really told anyone why he'd move to Japan, but Yosen didn't seem to care at all. If anything, they were glad he had come because his basketball skills were formidable. His style wasn't careless and wild like Kagami or Aomine's, but rather calculated and elegant. In some ways, Himuro reminded Murasakibara a lot of the Akashi from his Teiko days. Akashi used to be very friendly and personable like Himuro was, but then in their second year he drastically changes. Not that Murasakibara minded, he was happy to not go to practice.

"I didn't know you had a brother, Muro-chin," Murasakibara said as he watched the redhead dunk the ball into the basket.

"We're not actually related by blood," Himuro explained to his tall friend. "We grew up together is all, so we might as well be."

Murasakibara hummed with slight intrigue as he opened one of his bags of candies. As he started munching on them he watched the game with little interest. Himuro on the other hand seemed very curious about the game, but mostly the girl that was playing on Kagami's team.

"Isn't it strange for a girl to play with boys in sports?" Himuro asked, not really expecting an answer from Murasakibara.

"That's Kuro-chin," Murasakibara informed, surprising Himuro.

"You know her?" he inquired with a raised brow as he looked at his teammate.

The violet haired teen nodded his head. "We were teammates in middle school," he explained simply, popping a piece of candy into his mouth. "She's good at basketball and I like her, she always brought me candy."

"Doesn't take much to win you over does it, Atsushi?" Himuro asked with a small chuckle, but Murasakibara only hummed in response as he was too focused on his candies. "Isn't it dangerous for her though to be playing with guys who will obviously roughhouse?"

"She can handle it," Murasakibara replied with a shrug as he watched the game progress. They were about half way through the second quarter when Tetsumi managed to stop a pass between Imayoshi and Sakurai. The crowd cheered as the girl dribbled a ball a few times and passed it towards Izuki. Both teams raced down to Seirin's side of the court, but were stopped by the defensive power of Wakamatsu and Susa Yoshinori. Izuki passed the ball over to Hyuga, who went for a shot, but Imayoshi managed to touch the ball, throwing it off course.

When the ball bounced off the rim, Wakamatsu grabbed the ball and did a fast break to Imayoshi who was at the half line. When he caught the ball, Tetsumi raced after him and managed to slow him down. Himuro watched closely as Imayoshi went to pass the ball, but Tetsumi blocked it and passed it to Kagami. When the redhead caught the ball, Wakamatsu knocked it from his hands and over to Susa.

Unfortunately the pass was so fast, Susa hardly had any time to think. The moment the ball was in his hands he tried to center himself, but Izuki charged straight at him, knocking the ball back to Kagami. When the redhead got the ball, he whipped around and dribbled back back down the court. He skidded to a halt when Wakamatsu blocked his path. His scarlet eyes spotted Tetsumi as she ran to the top of the key and held her hands up. Kagami nodded and passed the ball to her, but it was quickly intercepted by Susa.

While neither team managed to successfully grab the ball, Tetsumi caught it on a bounce. The crowds cheered after the vicious battle for one of the teams to get proper possession. When Tetsumi jumped to catch the ball, her body collided with Wakamatsu's. Her legs got tangled where she couldn't catch her balance and Wakamatsu got the ball out of bounds. The referee's whistle blew right as the two collided and Tetsumi fell back, hitting her head hard on the court floor.

Himuro heard the sound of the candy bag being crushed. When he looked back at his tall friend, Murasakibara's eyes were wide in shock. Himuro frowned and looked back at the court as he saw Wakamatsu limping near the baseline while Tetsumi was lying on her side hardly moving at all.

"That was a heavy hit for both of them," Himuro commented while everyone else in the audience had gone silent with worry for the girl. "They're probably both out the rest of the game."

"Mine-chin isn't going to be happy about this," Murasakibara said after a few moments of stunned silence.

"Who's that?" Himuro asked curiously.

"Kuro-chin's best friend," Murasakibara answered as he watched Tetsumi's team surround her.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Kagami saw it all happen in slow motion. Tetsumi jumping for the ball, Wakamatsu running towards her so fast he couldn't stop. When she landed she stumbled slightly and collided into Wakamatsu, causing him to roll his ankle and fall to the ground. Tetsumi fell slowly, Kagami swore he probably could have caught her. The distance between them was too great though, so he could only watch as her small frame crashed into the ground and her head whipped forward and then back onto the wooden floor. He heard the loud thud and it shook him right to the core. The entire stadium held it's breath as the girl remained still on the floor.

Wakamatsu got to his feet, but staggered and started limping. Imayoshi came to his aid while Seirin started rushing to tetsumi's side. Kagami swallowed hard as he walked over and heard Hyuga asking Tetsumi if she was okay or if she could hear him. The girl groaned and opened her eyes for a moment before they fell closed again. Kagami knelt down beside her and gently touched her face.

"No! Don't move her!" Riko shouted as she came charging over. "Paramedics are coming in now, they'll check her out. Don't let her move."

"You should have let it go, Munchkin," Kagami said to her as he took hold of her hand, squeezing it slightly.

"No...I couldn't," Tetsumi muttered as she glanced at him, smiling weakly before moaning in pain. Kagami shushed her and smiled as he shook his head. "Keep playing, okay."

"I will, now stop talking," Kagami said just as two paramedics with a gurney came towards them. The third paramedic had gone to check on Wakamatsu, who had sprained his ankle when Tetsumi tripped over him. The paramedics asked Kagami to move, so he stepped out of the way and watched as they started asking Tetsumi questions and started strapping her to a yellow board.

"I don't think it's broken, but you should probably head to the hospital and get it X-rayed," the paramedic checking on Wakamatsu's ankle said as he examined it closely. "We got room to take him with the girl."

Katsunori sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. This was not what he was expecting to happen at all. Of course, no one ever truly planned for one of their players to get removed from a game due to an injury. The handsome coach looked at Wakamatsu, who looked back at him curiously. "I know you still want to play, but I need you in the Winter Cup, so yeah take him," Katsunori agreed as he looked at the paramedic.

"But coach!" Wakamatsu protested and shook his head.

"Don't argue, get your ankle x-rayed and we'll see you after the game," Katsunori scolded the blond, who grimaced and looked down sadly. "You did good, Wakamatsu." The blond looked up at his coach and smiled weakly, nodding his head slowly in understanding.

"Aomine should be here soon, we can handle this," Imayoshi chimed in.

"That bastard should have been here earlier," Wakamatsu snorted with an eye roll.

As if on cue, said ace player of Tōō Academy walked onto the court. "What the hell is going on here?" he barked in annoyance as he saw all the commotion going on. His team all turned to look at him, and Momoi gasped knowing he would probably go catatonic when he realized Tetsumi had been injured again.

"Everything's fine," Imayoshi assured the tanned player. "Just a minor mishap."

"Don't down play it," Wakamatsu interrupted, and Momoi started shaking her head to silence Wakamatsu, but he blabbed on. "She hit the ground hard, I hope she's okay."

"She?" Aomine repeated, anger and worry washing over his face. His body went rigid upon seeing the paramedics strapping Tetsumi onto the gurney just across the way. He felt his throat tighten and his heart skipped a beat. Momoi walked to him and placed a hand on his chest, ignoring her pleas and darted over to the gurney.

"Well," Tetsumi said with a small laugh. "Look who finally showed up."

"Tetsumi," Aomine frowned as he took her hand. "What the hell happened?" he demanded.

"It was my fault," Tetsumi assured him. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Sir, I need you to step back please," one of the paramedics commanded, but Aomine refused to move.

"This is just like last time," Aomine said to her, and Tetsumi closed her eyes, smiling weakly at him. "Tetsumi."

"Shush," she scolded him. "You play, don't worry about me. I'll be just fine."

"Sir, please!" the paramedic said urgently, forcefully pushing Aomine back. Tetsumi's fingers slid from his and the paramedic rested it back at her side. "Let's go, now." They started pushing the gurney away and Aomine watched in horror as all the memories from the last time he played a game with her came flooding his mind.


	35. BLAME

**Author's Note: **Hello everyone! I'm not sure if you all will like this chapter, but I hope you do. This chapter sort of marks the new beginning for Tetsumi, so it's shorter than most of my chapters. The next chapters to come will be completely original and the start to the second half of the story, which is the journey to the Winter Cup. I'm predicting this journey to the Winter Cup will be about twelve chapters once the Winter Cup portion begins I'm estimating quite a few chapters. Overall, I think this story could potentially reach 100 chapters depending on if I plan to drag it out. To be honest though, I'm not planning on doing much dragging anymore. Anyways, share your thoughts everyone and enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**BLAME**

The commotion began to settle down once the paramedics got Tetsumi and Wakamatsu out of the way, but everyone was still spread out over the court. Aomine stared at the hallway that Tetsumi was taken through. His eyes glanced over to Seirin and spotted Kagami, who met his stare. The tanned teen glared and walked towards Kagami. Aomine was angry and not thinking clearly as he approached Kagami, who turned away from him. When Aomine finally reached him, he grabbed a hold of his shoulder and yanked him around. He was about to throw a punch, but Kagami shoved him back.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Kagami snapped at him with narrowed eyes.

"I was right," Aomine shot back harshly, causing Kagami to flinch. "You don't deserve to have Tetsumi on your team when you can't even protect her!"

"Aomine-kun! Stop it!" Momoi shouted as she ran in between the two of them. She pushed Aomine back, but he ignored her entirely. He gently moved her aside and was about to punch Kagami. "Aomine-kun!" Momoi protested, but it was futile.

"You seriously want to fight over this?" Kagami asked through gritted teeth.

"Hey!" Imayoshi intervened, stepping between the two. He placed a hand on Aomine's chest and pushed him back. "If you start a fight we'll be ejected from the game, knock it off."

"He's right, Aomine-kun!" Momoi interjected as she grabbed Aomine's arm, tugging on it gently. "It was an accident. It wasn't anyone's fault, don't fight!" She yanked on his arm a little harder, but Aomine pulled free and shoved past Imayoshi. He grabbed Kagami by the collar of his jersey and pulled it tight.

"Look," Kagami growled as he peeled Aomine's hand from his jersey. "I get she's your girlfriend and everything, but back the hell off!"

"Girlfriend?" Imayoshi and Momoi repeated in unison. "You're dating?" the asked at the same time again, gaining Aomine and Kagami's attention.

"Yes, I'm dating her," Aomine explained before turning back to Kagami. "Which give me enough reason to knock this guy out."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Momoi shouted as she got in between Kagami and Aomine. She forcefully pushed the two apart and crossed her arms over her chest. "Tetsumi-chan would not approve of this, so please just stop." The tanned teen sighed softly and looked down at the ground for a few second. He pursed his lips and nodded his head in agreement. Momoi seemed relieved and looked at Imayoshi, who nodded in approval.

When the captain of Tōō walked back over to the bench, Momoi walked away from the two. The moment his childhood friend was out of the way, Aomine punched Kagami square in the jaw. And Kagami being the guy he was, went and returned the favor. In a matter of seconds, what everyone thought was over erupted. When Momoi whipped around she gasped as she found the two guys on the ground. They were throwing punches and rolling around like animals.

"Break it up! Break it up!" the referee shouted as he grabbed Aomine's shirt and peeled him off of Kagami. The redhead went to attack Aomine, but Hyuga and Izuki grabbed him by both arms and dragged him back.

"Kagami! Stop! Hyuga shouted, shoving the redhead back. Izuki kept him back while Hyuga stepped in between the two. The referee shoved Aomine back towards Imayoshi and Katsunori.

"The hell are you thinking?" Katsunori hissed at Aomine, who pushed both Imayoshi off of him.

"Bakagami! I'm going to kill you!" Riko snapped viciously as she jabbed the redhead in the ribs. He pushed her hand away and glared across the way at Aomine. "Stop glaring!" Riko commanded as she grabbed Kagami's arm and pulled him to the bench. "Furi-kun! Go get some ice for his face, please."

"Coach!" the referee shouted and Riko turned around. Sighing in disappointment, she knew exactly what he was going to say. She could see over on the Tōō bench, the handsome coach looked annoyed and was shaking his head. By the looks of it Aomine had taken off and so had the pink haired girl. Riko licked her lips and looked up at the referee. "He's out of the game, no exception."

"Yeah, I figured as much," Riko replied with a nod. She clicked her tongue and turned on her heels walking back over to the bench. Furihata had just come back with an ice pack and handed it over to Kagami. He put it on his face and flinched at the coldness of it. "You're out of the game, no exceptions."

"What! He punched me!" Kagami protested.

"Yes, but you punched back," Riko chimed in with a weak smile. "You're out, Kagami-kun." She placed a hand on his shoulder and sighed. Honestly, Riko didn't blame him for it either. Aomine was blaming Kagami for Tetsumi getting hurt; he probably deserved to get punched.

"Where did Aomine go?" Izuki asked when he noticed he was missing from the scene.

"He was ejected for the fight," Riko said even though she wasn't entirely sure that was what happened. "Look the game isn't over yet, so get out there."

* * *

-###-

* * *

Tetsumi sighed as she stared at a blank space on the wall. The doctor had told her that she had a concussion, but she wasn't going to be able to leave. He told her that it would be best to keep her over night for observation just to be safe. Aside from a mild headache and feeling a little tired, Tetsumi felt perfectly fine. Of course, she knew better than to argue with a doctor. She was a little peeved though to discover that Wakamatsu was going to be able to head home but had to be on bed rest for three days and no practice for another three weeks. Thankfully his ankle was only sprained, so as long as he was careful he'd be good as new in a month.

On the ride over, Wakamatsu told her that he thought she was pretty awesome for managing to steal the ball. He told her that she was tougher than some guys that he'd played before. Tetsumi took pride in that, it made her feel really good about herself. Once they got to the emergency room they were put in beds next to one another. They had a little small talk, but nothing too deep. She asked what Aomine was like and Wakamatsu only replied with the statement: "He's a total bastard and I hate him." That made Tetsumi laugh. She knew very well just how difficult that lug-head could be. Tetsumi was wheeled away to get a CT Scan while Wakamatsu was getting his ankle wrapped up. She told him that she looked forward to facing him again and he agreed with her.

That was half an hour ago, now Tetsumi was stuck in a small room feeling very bored. She wished they would have at least given her a book or magazine to read. Sputtering, Tetsumi laid back into her pillows and stared up at the ceiling. She counted the tiles, hoping it would lull her to sleep. Unfortunately, all her belongings were still in the locker back at the stadium. The nurse who brought her into the room said she would contact her parents and let them know she was in. Her father was still on a business trip though, so he wouldn't be coming. Her mother would probably get in as soon as she could get out of the restaurant.

Tetsumi sighed and placed her hands under her head. She hated hospitals, especially after the last time she was trapped in one for so long. On some level, Tetsumi assumed that the universe was trying to tell her not to play basketball anymore. Not that she would take the hint, because she loved basketball. What she really loved was playing with her new team. Of course, if her old team went back to how they were she'd probably play with them again. Being in the hospital reminded Tetsumi of when she got out and was going to the boys practice. The heartbreak of finding there was no more practice and none of them really cared about basketball or each other was almost too much for her. Even when she tired to get them back together, it failed.

The original Teiko team she knew in the past was long gone. She gave up on basketball when she realized they were different and nothing she said or tried worked. Eventually she grew to hate the sport and blamed herself and basketball how things changed. Tetsumi new better now though, she knew it wasn't her fault and it wasn't basketballs fault. If anyone was to blame for the change it was the boys themselves for giving up. They may have still played basketball and they may have won the championships, but they had given up. It made Tetsumi so mad and when she met Kagami all of that changed. She saw it in him, that potential, that love, and that desire to find strong opponents. His light was so bright, brighter than even Aomine's. It was because of Kagami's brightness that Tetsumi found the courage within herself to play again.

"Sir, please let us clean that up!" a nurse shouted, causing Tetsumi to shoot up in her bed. She looked towards the door and was about to get up, but through the window saw Aomine walking down the hall with the nurse trailing after him. "Sir, I know you want to see your friend, but really your lip is split!"

Tetsumi's mouth fell open when she heard those words. And just as the nurse said, Aomine's lip was busted, his eye was slightly bruised, and a swollen cheek. She shook her head as Aomine stood in the doorway of the room and walked towards her bed. Tetsumi groaned and closed her eyes, slapping a hand onto her face.

"Please, please, please tell me you did not get into a fight with Kagami-kun," Tetsumi said with hope, but she already knew that he had. When Aomine just stared at her, Tetsumi rolled her eyes. "Why?" she asked him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but we really need to clean those," the nurse said gently, gesturing to Aomine's face.

"Yes, please," Tetsumi said as she looked to the nurse and smiled kindly at the woman. "Sit down and let them fix you up." She pointed to a chair beside her bed and Aomine nodded once as he took a seat. When he sat down the nurse thanked Tetsumi as she walked over to him with some gauze, medical tape, and antiseptic. Aomine never looked away from Tetsumi as the nurse cleaned up his wounds. Tetsumi was pretty sure he didn't even flinch or blink as she pressed some gauze against the small gash on his eyebrow.

The nurse finished cleaning up Aomine's wounds a few moments later and quietly excused herself from the room. Once she was gone, Tetsumi grabbed one of the pillows and chunked it at Aomine. He managed to catch it and glared at her, but Tetsumi glared right back at him.

"You're an idiot!" Tetsumi hissed at him, pointing at him accusingly. "I told you to play, not start a fight." She crossed her arms over her chest and muttered a curse under her breath. "Honestly, Dai-kun," she sighed with a shake of her head.

"I was ejected from the game after the fight anyways, so it doesn't even matter," Aomine replied as he stood up from the chair and brought the pillow back to Tetsumi. He placed it on her lap and shrugged his shoulder half-heartedly, earning a scowl from Tetsumi.

"Doesn't matter? Of course it matters, Dai-kun!" Tetsumi snapped at him, thoroughly annoyed with his bad attitude. She loved Aomine Daiki, she really did, but sometimes he made it extremely hard. His stubbornness and arrogance would be his greatest downfall. "You should be at the game, supporting your team! That's where I wanna be, but obviously I can't be there." She gestured to her current situation and placed the pillow on her lap behind her back.

"Well your redheaded friend was ejected too," Aomine commented as he sat on the edge of Tetsumi's bed. "He fought back."

"Good!" Tetsumi shouted loudly, surprising Aomine.

"What? I punch him and I get scolded, he punches back and that's okay with you? I'm your boyfriend!" Aomine pointed out harshly as he stood up from the bed. "It's his fault that you're even in this position."

"Don't you dare!" Tetsumi hissed coolly. "This isn't his fault, or Seirin's fault, or Wakamatsu's fault. This was an accident, and if you want to place the blame on someone then put the blame on me." She pointed to herself and stared right into Aomine's royal blue eyes. He stared right back into her cerulean ones, but quickly turned away.

"I just don't want to watch you get hurt anymore," Aomine said softly and sadly as he ran his fingers through his short blue hair. Tetsumi looked away from him and sighed ruefully. "I still blame myself for what happened the last time." He slowly lifted his gaze and met Tetsumi's.

She frowned and scooted over on the bed, patting the bed gently with her hand. Aomine stared at her for a moment, hesitant if he should. "Come here, Dai-kun," she said, but he shook his head nervously. "Listen, when I am hurt and sad I like someone to hold me and stroke my hair," she explained, and Aomine tilted his head slightly as she opened up her arms and waved for him to come over. "Crawl into my bed and let me hold you and stroke your hair, please."

Taking in a deep breath, Aomine crawled onto the bed and laid down beside Tetsumi. She smiled as he laid his head on her chest. He was tense at first, but when she began to soothing stroke his hair, he relaxed. Aomine swallowed as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her torso close to his body. Tetsumi stifled a laugh and continued to stroke his hair until he closed his eyes and started drifting off to sleep.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Forty-five minutes after Aomine had arrived, he was in a peaceful slumber with his face laying against Tetsumi's stomach. She had stopped stroking his hair and was now reading a book that a nurse had brought in for her. The nurse had even asked if she wanted a cot made out for Aomine, but Tetsumi declined saying he was fine where he was. As she read the novel she had been given, Tetsumi noticed someone in the corner of her eye. She looked away from her book and smiled warmly as Kagami leaned against the doorjamb. He nodded to her and glanced to Aomine, rolling his eyes.

Kagami had a bruise on his jaw and his eye was a little puffy and swollen. Tetsumi frowned as she looked at his face and waved for him to come in. The redhead smiled at her and pushed off the doorjamb. As he came forth, he held up her gym back and placed it on the ground and out of the way. Tetsumi mouthed a thank you to him and he nodded, waving the matter off.

"How'd it go?" she asked quietly.

"We lost," he answered bitterly as he glared at Aomine for a moment before turning his attention back to Aomine. "I was ejected from the game," he explained and Tetsumi nodded her head knowingly.

"I'm so sorry," she said to him with a small bow of her head. "Dai-kun doesn't think sometimes." She glanced at the man sleeping on her bed and looked back at Kagami.

"Makes two of us," Kagami admitted with a small chuckle. "And you shouldn't be apologizing, I should be the one to apologize. It's kind of my fault this happened to you. I mean, I passed the ball to you."

"No," Tetsumi said firmly and shook her head. "Don't blame yourself. As it is Dai-kun blames himself for my leg and knee injury, and honestly I don't want someone else blaming themselves for something I did. We were playing a game, Kagami-kun. A game where people sometimes get hurt." She reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Kagami stared at her for a moment, but smiled and squeezed her hand back.

"You're right, I mean it's not my fault you thought you could fly," Kagami teased, causing Tetsumi to giggle. She quickly quieted herself though when Aomine shifted a bit. Tetsumi let go of Kagami's hand and gently started to stroke Aomine's hair again. "I really wanted to play this asshole too, wanted to see what's so damn great about him." Kagami shoved his hands into the pockets of his Seirin blazer and walked towards the chair on the other side.

"You've already played him, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi pointed out.

"I meant officially, no holding back, all or nothing fight, completely serious about destroying one another," Kagami explained with a hint of excitement.

"Well, you both managed to destroy each other's faces, so you're nearly there," Tetsumi chided, causing the redhead to snicker as he leaned back in the chair. "How is the rest of the team?" Tetsumi asked.

"They're bummed, but then again so am I," Kagami voiced softly as he ran his fingers through his hair. "We were so close, just two points and we would have won." Kagami shook his head as he remembered when the final buzzer sounded and Imayoshi had made a perfect three point buzzer beater. Seirin was distraught about it, but they sucked it up and tried to keep it together.

"We'll get them back," Tetsumi replied, gaining Kagami's full attention. "In the Winter Cup, we have all summer to train."

"Damn straight," Kagami smirked with a single nod. "How's your head, Munchkin? You going to be able to play in the next two games?" he asked her.

"No," Tetsumi frowned and shook her head. "I have a concussion, so two weeks complete bed rest nothing physical aside from walking."

"Well that's no fun," Kagami chuckled as he leaned on his knees. "Is he good now?" He pointed to Aomine, who was still sleeping soundly beside Tetsumi.

"I think so, he was just..."

"Scared?" Kagami tried, and Tetsumi nodded in agreement. "I was too."

"I told you I was fine," Tetsumi pointed out, but Kagami rolled his eyes as he stood up.

"Yeah, you also said that in our game against Midorima," Kagami shot back with narrowed eyes. "And your knee was out of whack for a week. So forgive me if I don't believe you when the words 'I'm fine' come out of your mouth." He walked towards the door of the room and turned back around to look at Tetsumi.

"I'll be sure to work on that," Tetsumi assured him with a smile.

"Just work on actually being fine," Kagami told her with a shrug. "Get some rest, I'll see you later." He held up a hand and walked out of the room. Tetsumi watched as he walked passed the window and sighed softly.

"Goodnight, Kagami-kun," she whispered as she laid back on her pillows and continued reading the novel she had in her hand.


	36. STUDYING

**Author's Note: **Hi everyone! So this chapter is the start of the journey to the Winter Cup. I'm not sure if I like this chapter, but we have to start somewhere and I wanted to show Kagami and Tetsumi's friendship. So who thinks that Aomine and Tetsumi are due for a date chapter? A super-fluffy one? Cause I'm thinking it's about time that happened. Thank you all for the continued support on this story and I apologize for typos/grammar errors. I don't have the time to properly edit these, unfortunately. Anyways, please enjoy the chapter and tell me what you think!

* * *

**STUDYING**

The final two matches that Seirin had in the Inter High were not good matches. They, unfortunately, lost both matches thankfully they were horrible losses. At the end of the day though, a loss was a loss. Riko didn't allow Kagami to play in either game due to a strain of his hamstring. She didn't want him to tear it and Kagami fumed and fussed, but Riko didn't change her mind. Tetsumi was unable to even attend the games. She was unhappy about it because she wanted to be there to support her team.

Tetsumi was sitting on the couch in the living room, working on her final project before the summer. She twirled her pen around in her fingers and sighed. Her mother had insisted she miss a week of school due to her concussion. Kagami had come by every day to bring her the assignments she had missed. Just as she thought about that Kagami waltzed into the apartment.

"I can't wait until school is over," Kagami said as he put Tetsumi's homework on the table in the kitchen. "Summer can't get here fast enough."

Tetsumi chuckled and agreed with him. "Are you ready for the tests next week? Math, history, and all of that?"

"Sure," Kagami said as he walked over to the couch and sat down on the other end. "Where's your boyfriend?"

"Believe it or not I convinced him to go to practice before he came here," Tetsumi explained as she closed her notebook and placed it on the coffee table. "How is practice going?"

"There's a new guy, Kiyoshi Teppei," Kagami informed her. "He's…different." The redhead laughed a bit, which caused Tetsumi to raise a brow. "I'm sure you'll agree with me."

"Well, I'm ready to go back. Sitting here all day is so boring," Tetsumi replied with a chuckle. "Even if I can't play for another week." She brushed her hair behind her ear and smiled at Kagami.

"I'd enjoy this," Kagami told her. "Riko has a plan."

"A plan?" Tetsumi repeated with a raised brow.

"Yes," he confirmed with a single nod. Today, instead of an actual practice, Riko had only talked to them. She told them she had a plan for their training over the summer. Not only did she tell them it was a good plan, but it was going to be the worst summer of their lives. "She didn't say anything about it other than it would be the worst summer of our lives and that we'd better pass our exams." Kagami stood up and walked over to the kitchen. He suddenly wanted to start stuffing his face.

"I'll ask again," Tetsumi said as she got off the couch and walked into the kitchen. Kagami looked at her as he pushed the fridge door closed with his hip. She hopped up onto the kitchen counter and smiled at him. "Are you ready for the exams next week?"

"I guess," Kagami mumbled as put the stuff he gathered on the counter beside Tetsumi.

"Kagami-kun," Tetsumi paused, waiting for him to look at her and when he finally did she said, "You do know if you don't pass your exams you aren't allowed to participate in the Winter Cup."

"What!" Kagami barked completely shocked by that information. She furrowed her brows and stifled a laugh. "That's total bullshit!" the redhead fumed as he shook his head in annoyance.

"Rules are rules, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi sang with a giggle. "I can help you study, Dai-kun isn't coming today and Satsuki is making him study all weekend anyways." She smiled at him and hopped down from the counter.

"Yuck, studying," Kagami grumbled as he started making himself a sandwich. He heard Tetsumi shuffling around and looked over at her. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Whoa! Your scores are awful!" Tetsumi laughed as she looked at some of the quizzes that were in his bag. When she looked up, Kagami snatched the papers away from her and glared. "I don't know if a weekend will be enough," she teased, causing Kagami to scowl.

"Your lack of confidence is a little insulting," Kagami huffed as he finished making his sandwich. He took a bite out of it and sat down at the table. Tetsumi titled her head slightly and sat down across from him.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you pass your exams," Tetsumi assured him as she grabbed his history quiz. She sighed inwardly, knowing that they had their work cut out for them. There were ten questions, eight of which were multiple choice and two were short answer. Kagami only got three answers right, none of which were the short answer questions. "Did you study…like at all?" Tetsumi asked, peering over the paper.

"Not really," Kagami replied with a shake of his head as he munched on his sandwich. Tetsumi pursed her lips and nodded. She remembered in her second year of middle school helping Satsuki make flash cards for Aomine. She also remembered countless hours at her mother's restaurant studying math and science with him. Tetsumi wasn't some academic wizard if anything she was an average student. She studied and did her homework, but when it came to students like Kagami and Aomine, they were more of a play basketball until I drop type rather than study until I drop type.

"Well, no time like the present," Tetsumi laughed as she got up and went to get her school stuff. "I already finished the mock history, science, and math tests." She placed her folders and notebooks down on the table before her.

"You finished all of them?" Kagami asked, completely bewildered.

"Yes, but I also didn't go to school or practice, so I had plenty of free time," Tetsumi pointed out, but in her head she was thinking that Kagami had more than enough time to take them. He was the one who brought them to her three days ago and each test only took her about an hour to do. Even if he only did one a day, he should have all three finished. "I still need to work on English though, but you should be okay with that."

"Uh…yeah," Kagami muttered, which made Tetsumi a little worried.

"You speak English, don't you?" she asked him with a stifled laugh.

"Yes, but it's not the same as in class. It's all formal in class," Kagami explained with a wave of his hand. "No one really speaks like that." He got up and grabbed a drink out of the fridge.

"But you understand it?" Tetsumi inquired.

Kagami raised a brow and shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, I guess."

"Now, whose confidence is lacking," Tetsumi giggled as she pulled out the mock history test that was approximately forty questions long. She flipped through it and stopped at one of the random questions. "Alright let's see if you can get this question right." Tetsumi grabbed an assortment of highlighters out of Kagami's bag.

"What's with all the highlighters?" Kagami asked as sat back down.

"We're going to color code," she explained. "Red for you are clueless, orange for you're working on it, and green for you know it."

"You're only going to need red," Kagami replied, causing Tetsumi to frown.

"You can't tell me you don't know the answer to at least a couple of these," Tetsumi said as she waved the paper in front of his face. Kagami shrugged his shoulders, causing Tetsumi to scowl. "When did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?"

"Do I get multiple choice?" Kagami asked and Tetsumi threw a highlighter at him.

"How about when the United States dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?" she tried, but Kagami pursed his lips. "When did Japan officially surrender in World War II?"

"Why don't we study, then test me?" Kagami asked.

"Yeah, we should probably order food too, cause this might take all night." Tetsumi got up and went to get her cell phone. "I'll tell my mother to bring you like twenty cheeseburgers and I'll just have her spaghetti and meatballs." She dialed her mother's number and put the phone to her ear. As she walked back to the kitchen, she dropped her history book in front of Kagami. "It's not going to read itself," she smiled, and Kagami snorted as he opened it up.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Tetsumi was about ready to bang her head into the wall. Kagami just wasn't the studious type in any way, shape, or form. She understood that he wasn't one for the books, but on some level it was ridiculous. Her fingers had probably raked through her hair fifty times in the past three hours they'd been studying. Kagami had probably only learned three things in that amount of time too.

"We need a new method to our madness," Tetsumi said with a sigh as she realized how much red highlighter ink was on the notes in her and Kagami's notebook. Somehow they needed a new way for Kagami to learn, because sitting and reading wasn't going well at all. "Let's see if flash cards help."

"I can't study anymore, Munchkin," Kagami huffed as he laid his head on the books before him. "My brain is mush now."

"Yeah, well it was probably mush before," Tetsumi joked, causing Kagami to scowl. "Just kidding. Look if the flash cards don't help then we'll pick up tomorrow with something different."

"Different, how?" Kagami asked, lifting his head from the books.

"Dai-kun wasn't very good at studying either, but Satsuki and I got him to pass. I'm pretty sure I can get you to pass using the same methods," Tetsumi explained as she started writing some stuff down on a flashcard. "Basketball seemed to help a lot with him retaining information. You know, it wasn't in one ear and out the other."

"How about we go play basketball and skip the studying part?" Kagami tried.

"If we skip the studying part you will be skipping the Winter Cup part, and you don't want that do you?" Tetsumi inquired with a smirk as she made another flash card. Kagami snorted, and Tetsumi took that as his tacit compliance.

There was a knock on the door and both of them looked to the door. Kagami got up and went to answer it. As he pulled the door open, Tetsumi turned around in her seat. Her eyes widened when she saw a fuming Aomine Daiki in her doorway holding up a bag of food from her mother's restaurant. Kagami quickly glared at him and leaned against the door. Tetsumi could already tell things weren't going to go very well. She quickly stood up from the chair and walked over to the door. Tetsumi stood in between the two teens, but they were still significantly taller than her.

"What are you doing here, Dai-kun?" she asked politely, although she could assume that he went to her mother's restaurant and her mother asked him to bring the food by. "Did my mother ask you to come?"

"Yeah, Satsuki and I went there and she asked," Aomine answer, holding the food out to her. Tetsumi smiled and thanked him, apologizing if it was any trouble. The tanned teen snorted and turned his attention back to Kagami, who looked away in annoyance. "What's he doing here?"

"We're studying, stop being jealous," Tetsumi deadpanned as she glanced at Kagami, who looked back at her. "Shouldn't you be studying too, Dai-kun? Midterms are next week."

"I've studied the past five hours with Satsuki and she gave me her notes, I wanted to see my girlfriend," he explained as he put an arm around her shoulder. "Unfortunately he seems to be around every time." Aomine pointed at Kagami, who rolled his eyes and walked back to the kitchen table.

"Listen, you two," Tetsumi grumbled as she pulled away from Aomine. She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the apartment. With her foot, she gently kicked the door closed and walked to the kitchen. She placed the food on the counter and took in a deep breath. "You two are just going to have to learn to get along. Let's face it, Dai-kun, Kagami-kun is my friend and teammate. And Kagami-kun, is my boyfriend. And the funny part you two are so alike when it comes to basketball and studying, apparently, so just please try. For me." Tetsumi looked at both of them, hoping she was finally making some progress.

"We are not alike!" Kagami and Aomine shouted at the same time.

Tetsumi looked between the two of them and chuckle when they started glaring at one another. "It's like one mind with you two," she smiled as she started opening up the bag to get the food out. "You know, if you both played basketball together you'd probably get along really well."

"No we wouldn't," the two said in unison once again.

"You two are incorrigible," Tetsumi sighed with a shake of her head. She placed Kagami's food in front of him as she sat down across from him. "Dai-kun can you stay for a bit and help Kagami-kun study."

"Like I want his help," Kagami grumbled as he ate his burger.

"Like I'd want to help him," Aomine snorted with an eye roll.

Tetsumi scowled. "Stop it! Both of you," she seethed, waving a finger at both of them like she was their mother. "It'll benefit you both, because you both suck at traditional studying and excel at basketball. Just try before you say no, please." She looked at both of them with big puppy dog eyes, causing both males to sigh in defeat.

"Fine," the agreed at the same time, causing Tetsumi to smile brightly.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Surprisingly enough, Kagami and Aomine actually were trying to get along for Tetsumi's sake. Of course, she wasn't opposed to throwing basketballs at their heads if they started bickering. They were outside at the nearby park and were playing some basketball while studying. Tetsumi and Satsuki had created the game back in middle school to help Aomine and occasionally Kise study.

The whole idea was to beat your opponent, but you were only allowed to shoot if you answered the question correctly. If the person asked for a hint, they were required to take the shot from half court as opposed to the free throw line. If they got the question wrong, Tetsumi would tell them the answer and put the question back into the pile, and if came up again they would have to shoot from the three point line if they got it right.

At the current moment, Kagami and Aomine were both tied up with ten points. Tetsumi had been right, Kagami seemed to retain information a lot better when he was physically moving. Plus there was the added bonus that he and Aomine were engaged in a friendly competition as opposed to a hostile one. It was Aomine's turn to make a shot and Tetsumi smiled as she stood under the hoop about to read the question.

"In 660 B.C., Japan's first emperor came into power. What's his name?" Tetsumi asked, looking at Aomine.

"I know it!" Kagami shouted from the sidelines.

Aomine told him to be quiet and wracked his brain for the correct answer. He knew that the person's name started with a J, but that was about it.

"Five more seconds," Tetsumi said as she looked at the stop watch in her hands. The pressure made it more nerve-wrecking, but Tetsumi and Satsuki both believed being under pressure made it more effective.

"It starts with a J! Does that count for anything?" Aomine asked.

"Nope," Tetsumi replied with a chuckle. "Time's up, Dai-kun."

"Damnit," Aomine cursed as he passed the ball to Kagami.

"Alright, Kagami-kun, who was the first emperor in Japan?" Tetsumi asked.

"Tenno Jimmu," Kagami answered, and Tetsumi smiled.

"Good job," Tetsumi said, gesturing for Kagami to take a shot. When the ball sank through the net, Tetsumi gave Kagami another point. Aomine caught the ball and sighed in annoyance. "Oh come on, don't be a sore loser, there are still fifteen more questions."

"It's not that," Aomine replied, which surprised Tetsumi. "I'm actually enjoying this."

"You are? Really?" Tetsumi asked with a bright smile. "I'm glad."

"Can we just play normal basketball now?" Kagami interrupted as he walked over to them. "I can't study anymore, I think we should just have some fun now," Kagami suggested with a small shrug.

"Well what do you know," Aomine laughed as he started dribbling the ball. "We actually agree on something."

Before Tetsumi could even protest both boys were playing a one on one match. She shouted at them, saying they still have ten more questions to go through. Neither one seemed to care though. The blue haired girl sighed in annoyance, but started chuckling as Aomine and Kagami played. For once it actually looked like they were just two friends having a good time. As Tetsumi put her flash cards in her bag, she ran down the court and stole the ball from Kagami.

"Hey!" the redhead exclaimed, but Tetsumi only stuck her tongue out at him and did a lay-up into the basket. "Oh is that how it is?" Kagami snorted, and Tetsumi laughed as she grabbed the ball. She held it up to him, but Kagami didn't go for it.

In the blink of an eye, Aomine took the ball and raced down the court. Tetsumi and Kagami watched him before darting after him. It was in that moment that Tetsumi remembered what it as like to really have fun playing basketball. No one really cared what was going on, they just wanted to play basketball and have fun. It was like her first year at Teiko and it was all so nostalgic.

* * *

-###-

* * *

"Kagami-kun," Tetsumi called out as she entered the classroom. She walked around some students in her class and sat down at her desk behind Kagami. "I know we studied all weekend, but just in case I brought you something." She opened up her bag and pulled out a pencil.

Kagami blinked a few times, wondering if he was supposed to be happy about receiving a pencil. It didn't really seem like anything special. The eraser hadn't been used yet and it was sharpened perfectly. Other than that, Kagami was sure it was just a plain old pencil.

"It's a pencil," Kagami stated with a smile.

"Not just any pencil though," Tetsumi replied as she took Kagami's wrist and placed the pencil in his hand. Even as he held it, Kagami was convinced it was just an ordinary pencil. Nevertheless, Kagami prompted her to explain was was so great about the pencil. "It's Rima-kun's special rolly pencil."

"Special rolly pencil," Kagami repeated as he examined the pencil a little more closely. At the top near the eraser band, Kagami noticed letters had been etched into it. He tilted his head and realized it was the multiple choice selections.

"When in doubt, roll the pencil," Tetsumi said with a smile.

"And you think that's a good idea to put my faith of passing on a pencil?" Kagami inquired with a raised brow.

"Well, if you don't want it, give it back," Tetsumi said, reaching for the pencil. Kagami held it out of her reach though, and shook his head. "Than yes, I think it's a good idea." She smiled at him and the teacher announced his arrival, telling everyone he hoped they studied for the test.

Kagami took in a deep breath and prayed all the studying and the basketball and the rolly pencil would be enough for him to pass the history midterm. Then he would only need to worry about Science, English, Math, and Japanese Literature. None of which he was looking forward too.


	37. DATE

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone, so sorry for the delay! With it having been a holiday weekend I hardly had time to write everything. Anyways, I really hope you all enjoy this next chapter and I can't thank you all enough for the comments, favorites, and alerts!

* * *

**DATE**

By some sort of miraculous miracle Kagami Taiga had successfully passed all his exams, thus granting him the opportunity to participate in the Winter Cup. Riko had graciously decided to give everyone the next two days off from practice. She claimed that they all deserved it for passing their exams. Of course, Kagami wasn't one to not play basketball, so Tetsumi and himself were at the court by her apartment. They were playing that game that kids always played. It was called around the world, or something of the sort. Kagami had mentioned that when he was in America they played it all the time whenever they got bored. It was an easy enough game. Every time you made a shot you simply moved to another spot and continued to do so until you missed.

"I gotta hand it to Midorima. I think he's weird, but that pencil of his is pretty awesome," Kagami said as he dribbled the ball a couple of times and took a shot from the three point line. The ball bounced off the back and fell right into the hoop.

"And?" Tetsumi pressed, wanting him to thank her for helping him study in the first place. After all, if it wasn't for her, he'd probably be dead. Riko would have killed him for failing his exams.

"And your basketball study game was helpful too," Kagami added on as Tetsumi passed the ball to him.

"And?" Tetsumi pressed, wanting to hear the magical words.

"Uh...and?"

"She wants you to thank her," Aomine's voice cut in, causing both Seirin player's to look his way. He walked onto the court with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. The tanned teen smiled at his girlfriend then glared over at Kagami. Tetsumi instantly sighed and shook her head.

"Aomine!" Kagami snorted, turning his nose up at his teammate's boyfriend. He took a shot, but Aomine ran up and knocked the ball down to the ground. The redhead sneered and clenched his fist in annoyance at Aomine. "What the hell!" Kagami barked in anger.

"I'm taking my girlfriend now, so thank her for helping you," Aomine demanded.

"Taking her? No way, we're in the middle of a game here, which you've effectively ruined," Kagami seethed with an eye roll. Tetsumi blinked a few times and picked up the basketball. She rested the ball on her hip and looked at the two as they bickered like some old married couple. Not wanting things to escalate, Tetsumi walked over to the two of them.

"Hey!" Tetsumi snapped, pushing Kagami and Aomine apart. She pressed the basketball into Kagami's chest and he took it, but his eyes still glared daggers at Aomine. "You two aren't allowed to fight whenever it's about me, so stop it!"

"Fine," Kagami and Aomine both grumbled bitterly, prompting Tetsumi to let out a sigh of relief.

"And what's this about you taking me somewhere?" Tetsumi asked, turning her attention to Aomine.

"You said you don't have practice today or tomorrow, and neither do I, so I plan on spending all my free time with you. So come on, let's go." Aomine tugged on her hair in that annoying, yet affectionate way. Tetsumi swatted his hand away and he chuckled lightly.

"Like a date? That's no way to ask a girl on a date," Kagami chortled. "Even if it's Munchkin."

"And what does that mean?" Tetsumi hissed, whipping around to glare at Kagami. She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at him. The redhead laughed nervously and waved the matter off.

"You're not like other girls, you're one of the guys," Kagami explained, which made Tetsumi snort a bit. She could be girly if she wanted to be, but she got sweaty playing basketball all the time, so what was the point of getting dolled up? "I mean it in a good way."

"Like I would ever take dating advice from you, have you ever even had a girlfriend before?" Aomine questioned with a smug smirk on his face. He looped his arm around Tetsumi's body and pulled her close to him. Kagami scrunched up his nose and shook his head.

"No, but you should still take her out on a proper date. Not just drag her somewhere, let her get all dressed up and stuff," Kagami mused as he went back to shooting some hoops. Tetsumi tilted her head slightly and smiled at the redhead. He may have been an idiot sometimes, but when it really counted he seemed to get it. Aomine on the other hand chortled and waved it off, which slightly disappointed Tetsumi. She had to admit, she would like to be taken out on a proper date where she was dressed up and so was Aomine and they didn't just go to Magi Burger. "It's just a suggestion, but your an asshole so obviously you wouldn't get it."

Tetsumi groaned and mumbled, "Here we go."

"Don't tell me how to treat my girlfriend," Aomine snapped.

"She won't be your girlfriend long if you don't treat her like a lady," Kagami shot back.

"Says the guy who's never had a girlfriend!" Aomine barked with a clenched fist. Tetsumi sighed dejectedly beside him, knowing this argument wasn't going anywhere fast. She elbowed her boyfriend in the ribs and he sidestepped. "What was that for?" he whined.

"I kind of agree with Kagami-kun, about asking me on a proper date," Tetsumi explained, which caused Aomine to flinch a bit. Not so much because Tetsumi wanted to be asked on a proper date, but for the fact it came from Kagami. He licked his lips and stared at Tetsumi, who smiled weakly. "I think it would be nice if you asked me out on a proper date and I got dressed in something cute." She shrugged her shoulders and quickly turned around to face Kagami. "Don't you gloat!"

Kagami's mouth that was wide open quickly closed and he frowned, turning his nose up at the two of them. Tetsumi rolled her eyes and looked back at Aomine, who still seemed a bit shocked. It quickly faded though as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Okay, if that's what you want," Aomine replied with a weak smile and cleared his throat. "I'm not asking though, I'm telling you I'm taking you out tomorrow. A real date, so dress up." He seemed very confident, which caused Tetsumi to giggle.

"I would like that, Dai-kun," she replied.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Tetsumi stood in her bathroom, straightening her hair for her date with Aomine. He had texted her that he would be at her place in half an hour. For some reason she was so nervous, and she didn't understand why. It was only Aomine, but he wasn't just her friend or ex-teammate, he was her boyfriend. They would most certainly hold hands, kiss, and hug one another throughout the day. Just thinking about it had her stomach doing flips. Her cheeks were even a little flushed and it wasn't from her make-up. She had asked Aomine what they were going to do today, so she could dress accordingly, but he told her it was a surprise.

Knowing that he was taking her on a surprise date was even more nerve-wracking. It wasn't too hot out today and according to the weather forecast that morning it was supposed to have a nice breeze all day long. Tetsumi wasn't sure if they'd be going anywhere fancy, but she didn't think Aomine would take her somewhere real fancy. he was a simple guy and he enjoyed simple things. That already meant they'd probably go somewhere casual with a little class, he'd probably take her somewhere fun and exciting so he wouldn't get bored. She assumed the arcade and even the mall for sure, but after Kagami taunted him the other day; he would probably step up his game.

Tetsumi finished with her hair and looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't do much with her make-up, for two reasons: one she wasn't one to wear a lot of make-up and two she wasn't sure if they'd be outside. Tetsumi walked out of her bathroom and across the small hallway to her bedroom. She turned on her radio as she started mulling over some outfits she'd picked out earlier in the day. Momoi would probably know what to say, but she wanted a guy's opinion. Tapping her chin, Tetsumi grabbed her phone and snapped a picture of the three outfits laid out on her bed. She sent the picture to Kagami, asking him which would be good for a first date.

**To:** Kuroko Tetsumi

**From:** Kagami Taiga

** Message:** Seriously? You're asking me what to wear on your date? Geez...Munchkin. If I have to pick, the middle one.

Tetsumi chuckled at his message and looked at the middle outfit. She smiled and nodded as she sent a thank you reply. Grabbing the outfit she stripped down into her underwear. She took Kagami's advice and put the outfit on and sure enough, he made the right choice. It was cute, summery, and flirty. It could easily pass for casual or maybe even a little dressy.

She looked at herself in the mirror and fixed her hair a bit. Adorned on her petite frame was a navy blue sleeveless top that cinched at the bottom hem, hugging at the curve of her hips. She also were cream colored lace shorts that were cute and flirty, exposing just enough thigh to be sexy. Her shoes were simple nude colored ballet flats that matched the small cross-body purse her mother had bought her for her birthday. Last night, Tetsumi had even painted her nails a bright blue that matched her eyes. This was by far the girliest she had ever felt. When she went to dinner with Akashi a while back she felt elegant, but in this outfit she felt cute with a sprinkle of sexy. That was a feeling that was almost foreign to her, but she had to admit she couldn't wait to see what Aomine thought of her ensemble.

Tetsumi walked back to her bathroom to finish off her look with some eyeliner. Normally, Tetsumi wouldn't do something like this. It was a special occasion though, so with great focus and a steady hand, Tetsumi lined her upper lid with the black liquid liner. She wanted to make the cat eye effect. With small steady strokes, Tetsumi lined both lids and felt proud of herself. They were both nearly perfect. She bit her lip and grabbed a tube of candy pink lipstick, brushing it across her lips. Pressing and rubbing her lips together, Tetsumi popped them and smiled. Now she felt like her look was complete.

Opening up her medicine cabinet, Tetsumi grabbed a bottle of her favorite perfume that Kise had bought her for her birthday. She didn't wear it often, but she just loved the sweet nectar scent of it.

"Okay, don't freak out," Tetsumi said to her reflection. "Don't freak out, it's just a casual date. You don't have to be nervous," she muttered to herself.

There was a knock on the door and Tetsumi sucked in a deep breath. She looked at the time on her phone and just like Aomine said he was right on time. Tetsumi adjusted her clothes and hair one more time before walking out of the bathroom. There was another knock and Tetsumi shouted that she was coming. When she got to the door, she composed herself and unlocked it.

"I would have let myself in, but someone took my key," Aomine said with a smile, causing Tetsumi to stifle a laugh. She stepped aside and invited him in for a few seconds.

"Well if you do well today maybe I'll give it back," Tetsumi replied with a wink, causing Aomine to smirk as if he accepted the challenge. "Let me just grab my purse and we can go."

"Hold on a second," Aomine said as he grabbed her wrist gently and turned her back around. Tetsumi blushed as Aomine let go of her wrist and looked her up and down. She felt very self-conscious, but when Aomine looked into her eyes she relaxed. "You look beautiful."

Tetsumi brushed her hair behind her ear and smiled happily. "Thank you, Dai-kun."

"But you're missing one thing," Aomine said, which caused Tetsumi to tilt her head in confusion. "Turn around," he whispered, gesturing for her to slowly spin around. Tetsumi, though confused, obliged him and turned around where he back was to him.

Aomine's arms came around her. Tetsumi gasped in surprise when Aomine pulled a simple, yet beautiful silver heart shaped pendent on a sparkling chain around her neck. He clasped the necklace around her neck and gently pulled her hair over it. When the pendent rested against her chest, she touched it gently and turned around. She looked up at Aomine and smiled brightly at her boyfriend.

"Dai-kun," she laughed lightly and shook her head. "This is beautiful, thank you!"

"You like it?" he asked with a sheepish smile a small hint of a blush on his cheeks.

"I love it!" Tetsumi beamed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She was on her toes as she hugged him. Aomine welcomed her hug and wrapped his arms around her tightly, kissing the top of her head. "So what are we doing today?" she asked with a hint of excitement as she pulled away from him.

"You just let me worry about that," Aomine replied with a wink, causing Tetsumi to roll her eyes. She let him go and walked back to her bedroom to grab her purse off of her bed. "I promise you'll have a good time."

Tetsumi walked back towards him and looked him up and down. He wore dark washed jeans that hung on his hips, black Air Jordan shoes, and a taut dark grey t-shirt that showed off his chiseled arm muscles. He looked very handsome especially with his black blazer sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

"I'm looking forward to it," Tetsumi replied as she placed the purse strap around her shoulder. "All right, I'm ready to go."

* * *

-###-

* * *

"Are you serious?" Tetsumi asked with a huge smile as she walked over to the Segway. "I've never ridden one of these, but I've always wanted too." She looked back at Aomine, who nodded his head.

"Well, they're ours for the next hour, so let's see who's better," Aomine told her as he helped Tetsumi get on. "Brake, gas, turning," her boyfriend explained to her as he turned on the Segway for her. "You got it?" he asked her.

"Yeah, let's do this," Tetsumi said as she hit the gas and the Segway charged forward. Aomine stumbled back and laughed as he shook his head. He watched Tetsumi for a moment before running over to his and chased after her. "Catch me if you can!" Tetsumi hollered at Aomine as she followed the sidewalk path deeper into the park.

"Last one to the ice cream shop on the other side buys lunch!" Aomine shouted as he zoomed past her.

"Hey!" Tetsumi shouted as she raced after him. "I won't let you win so easily!" She managed to catch up with him and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Bring it on, Shorty!" Aomine shouted as he managed to slip around her.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Tetsumi was gloating when she arrived at the ice cream shop just a few moments before Aomine. When she hopped off of the Segway, she stuck her tongue out at Aomine and started jumping up and down. The tanned teen only chuckled at her antics and stepped off of his own Segway.

"To the victor the spoils," Tetsumi laughed when she finally stopped jumping.

"I would have had you if it wasn't for that damn trash can," Aomine snorted as he placed a hand on Tetsumi's head. He was about to ruffle her hair, but she quickly smacked it away.

"Don't do it," she seethed with narrowed eyes, but they quickly faded and she smiled brightly. "Blame the trash can all you want, but you know the only reason you were behind me the whole time was because you enjoyed the view." She spun around and placed her hands on her hips and proudly walked away, swaying her hips.

Aomine chuckled and caught up to her. His hands grabbed her hips and pulled her back against him. Tetsumi giggled as he held her close and kissed her cheek. "Come on, do you not know me? We all know I'm a boob guy."

"How could I forget?" Tetsumi asked sarcastically as Aomine tried to reach for her breasts. She slipped away and shook her head. Aomine frowned, but swore he wouldn't do it again. "So where's my ice cream?" she inquired as she walked towards the front door of the ice cream shop.

"Yeah, yeah," Aomine sighed as he opened the door of the shop. Tetsumi smiled at him and walked inside and he followed in suit.

* * *

-###-

* * *

"So how am I doing so far?" Aomine asked as he and Tetsumi walked hand and hand over one of the bridges at the park. The petite girl gazed up at him and smiled, but never actually answered. "Not even a hint?" he pressed and with her free hand, Tetsumi pretended to zip and lock her lips, throwing the key over her shoulder. Aomine chuckled and pulled her close to him, resting his arm around her slender shoulders. Tetsumi grabbed hold of his hand and they continued walking towards the train station.

"You won't tell me where we're going, so I'm not going to tell you how you're doing," Tetsumi explained to him.

"Is that how it is?" Aomine asked with a smirk as he looked down at her.

"Yes," Tetsumi replied with a single nod.

"Well, I happen to know I'm doing very well," Aomine said proudly.

"Oh, do you? And how do you figure that?" Tetsumi asked as they entered the train station. Aomine smirked as he gently pushed her against the guard rail. His arms went on either side of her body, keeping her trapped between him and the rail. Tetsumi looked up at him with a blush on her cheeks and a sparkle in her eye. Aomine rested his forehead against hers and Tetsumi closed her eyes.

Their breaths mixed together, but just as Aomine's lips brushed against Tetsumi's she pushed onto her toes. Aomine smirked against their kiss and moaned when her hands snaked around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

"No, no," Aomine pushed her away reluctantly and Tetsumi pouted. "That's how I know I'm doing good." He winked at her and Tetsumi grabbed the collar of his shirt. She tugged him down, kissing him again. Aomine's hands went to her hips and he pressed her against his body.

"You're doing very good," Tetsumi smiled as she pecked his lips.

"Naturally," Aomine gloated, causing Tetsumi to playfully push him away. "Train's here, let's go."

"Seriously, what's next?" Tetsumi asked as they both boarded the train and took the two seats beside the sliding doors.

"Not telling," Aomine said as he mimicked her zipping his lips and throwing away the key. "Unlike you, I don't give into pressure."

"Well that's the last you are getting out of me mister!" Tetsumi declared.

Aomine felt like he was challenging her, so he took the opportunity. He turned to face her and stared at her. She looked at him through the corner of her eye, but quickly looked away. "Is that a challenge?" he asked with a raised brow and scooted closer to her where their legs were pressed against each other.

"That's a promise," she assured him, turning to look at him.

"You sure about that?" Aomine asked, seeing if she was going to back down. Tetsumi was never the type to back down easily though, but he felt like being a gentleman.

"I'm sure," Tetsumi replied, not wavering in a little bit.

Aomine smirked and placed his hand on her leg. Tetsumi's eyebrow lifted in curiosity and she glanced from his hand to his face. The tanned teen smirked as his hand slowly moved up towards her thigh.

Tetsumi grabbed his hand, stopping him from going any further. She smiled at him and tsked as she waved a finger at him. "Behave yourself, Dai-kun."

"Too much?" Aomine asked teasingly.

"Just a tad," Tetsumi replied, making the gesture with her fingers. Aomine nodded in understanding, so pulled away. When Tetsumi didn't appear to expect anything else, he quickly began tickling her. The girl squealed and tried to stop him, but he was far more stronger than him. She laughed and felt like she was going to pee on herself if Aomine didn't stop. He continued tickling her though until she was nearly breathless.

"Do you give up?" Aomine laughed as he continued to tickle his girlfriend, who was practically backed into the corner of the bench seat they were on.

"Okay! Truce! I give up!" Tetsumi squealed and Aomine stopped tickling her. The girl panted and caught her breath after a few moments. "You're evil."

"I never back down from a challenge, Shorty," Aomine said as he put his arm around her. "This is just how our relationship is going to work," he informed her, causing her to chuckle.

* * *

-###-

* * *

"Aomine it's closed, what are you doing?" Tetsumi asked in shock as she watched Aomine walk to the front door of the aquarium. He looked back at her and waved for her to follow him. When he got to the door, he knocked and Tetsumi tilted her head with intrigue. Not even a few seconds later, Tetsumi heard a click and the aquarium doors came open.

"Private tour for two?" a guy about Aomine's height with wild black hair asked as he poked his head out of the doors. "So your the famous "Shorty" I hear so much about." He appeared to be in his mid twenties and was dressed in black slacks with a light blue shirt tucked in neatly.

"Hi, I'm Kuroko Tetsumi," she introduced herself politely with a humble bow.

"No need to be so formal," he laughed lightly as he opened the door wider and waved for them to come inside. "I'm Hiwatari Daisuke by the way." Aomine grabbed Tetsumi's hand and tugged her inside of the aquarium that had closed nearly half an hour ago.

"And how do you two know each other?" Tetsumi asked with a raised brow. Daisuke closed the door and locked it back up before turning to them. He was handsome and fit, if Tetsumi had to guess they were probably basketball buddies.

"Aomine and I play basketball on the weekends," Daisuke explained as he waved for the two of them to follow him. "Are you as good as him?" the man asked with a chuckle as he opened up another door that hide a staircase.

"At some things," Tetsumi replied.

"She wishes," Aomine chimed in with a laugh.

"So what are we doing here exactly?" Tetsumi asked curiously when they reached the top of the stairs. Daisuke opened the door and gestured for the two to pass through. As they did, Tetsumi could smell a mildly fishy scent along with the sound of running water.

"How well can you swim?" Daisuke asked as he walked down the hallway and made a right down another hallway. He opened up a door and entered a square room with dozens of wet suits hanging on metal rails along the walls.

"Wait, swim? We're going to swim?" Tetsumi asked, suddenly feeling very excited. Daisuke nodded his head, and Tetsumi whirled around to look at Aomine. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled at her.

"I mentioned you like dolphins, so Daisuke offered to help out," Aomine explained with a smile. "Lucky I know a guy who trains and studies dolphins."

"So get changed you two, I'll wait outside." Daisuke excused himself and closed the door of the room.

"Best first date ever?" Aomine asked with a smirk.

"Best doesn't even begin to cover it!" Tetsumi exclaimed as she ran over to him and threw her arms around him. Aomine laughed as he spun her around and placed her down on the ground gently. "This is amazing, Dai-kun!" She kissed his cheek and moved away to find a suit that would fit her.


	38. INVITATIONAL

**Author's Note: **So I had planned don uploading this over the weekend, but then some magical way the file got corrupted so I had to write it all again. I apologize for the delay, hopefully next Sunday or Monday the next chapter will be up without any issues. I also want to thank everyone for all their comments and favorites, I'm so happy that you all are still enjoying this story! Until next time everyone, take care! Bye the way, sorry in advance for the cliffhanger!

* * *

**INVITATIONAL**

Tetsumi and Aomine swam with the dolphins for about an hour before it was time to go. The entire time, Tetsumi gushed about how amazing it was. She even teased Aomine, saying he would have to take her to some exotic land for their next date in order to top himself. The tanned teen only laughed and joked he just had to meet a pilot and he could make it happen. Tetsumi laughed at his joke, assuring him that while he was stubborn at times and lazy, he could be very charming.

She was currently in the bathroom fixing her hair into a messy bun. Aomine was already waiting for her outside and talking with Daisuke. When she was satisfied with her dampened hair, Tetsumi grabbed her purse and walked out of the bathroom. She stopped at the end of the hallway, listening in on Aomine and Daisuke's conversation.

"She's a great girl, don't be an idiot and mess it up," Daisuke said, and Tetsumi smiled happily. Aomine only chuckled and said nothing at all, which prompted Daisuke to say a little more on the matter. "I'm serious, I'm speaking from experience. I had a great girl a couple years ago and because I was so sure I was awesome, I never thought she'd leave. And she did, so don't be an idiot." Tetsumi leaned against the wall and waited to see if Aomine would say anything.

"I couldn't lose her, even if I wanted too. Shorty is…not the girl I always dreamed of, but she is the girl I need and the girl that makes me see things differently. For that reason, I love her and I will love her like I'm going to lose her." Aomine's words struck a chord in Tetsumi; she had no idea he felt like that about her. A faint blush raised to her cheeks and she swallowed hard. Willing the butterflies in her stomach and blush on her cheeks away, Tetsumi came around the corner. As if they had been having some form of secret exchange, both men fell silent and greeted her.

Tetsumi greeted them both and looped her arms around Aomine's. She smiled up at him and looked back to Daisuke to thank him for allowing them to come swim with the dolphins. He laughed and assured her that he had a great time himself; he even invited them to come back again sometime. Tetsumi agreed, saying that would be a lot of fun before looking to Aomine, who agreed with her.

Daisuke nodded and waved for them both to follow him back to the main lobby. He joked about next time they should go swim with the sharks. Tetsumi agreed, but Aomine shook his head quickly, mentioning he had a problem with being eaten by a shark. The other two laughed at his fear and continued talking about throwing him in. Aomine snorted, saying he'd never give them the chance to do such a thing. It didn't take long for them to reach the main lobby that was empty aside from two men polishing the tile floors.

"Well I'm glad you two had a good time," Daisuke said as he unlocked the front door to allow them out. "Oh before I forget, are you going to the All Star Invitational?"

Tetsumi raised a brow; she had no idea what he was talking about. Aomine on the other hand seemed to know exactly what he was talking about. "All Star Invitational?" the petite girl inquired.

"Your team didn't get invited? Well that's not really surprising considering you guys didn't make it very far in the Inter-High," Aomine muttered the last bit to himself, which caused Tetsumi to glare at him. "I'd assume you guys would have been considered though, normally the same teams allowed into Winter Cup are eligible for the Invitational that's held in Osaka." Aomine shrugged his shoulders and looked back to Daisuke, who nodded in agreement. As it turned out Daisuke's younger brother was participating in the event with his own team, meaning Daisuke would be there to support.

"We might have been invited, but I would have figured Kagami-kun would have mentioned something like that," Tetsumi mused, trying to remember if Kagami or any of the boys from Seirin had mentioned anything last week. Nothing was coming to mind though, so she assumed maybe they hadn't been invited to this event. "What is it exactly?" she asked curiously, wishing to no more about it.

"It's a special tournament for high school and middle school basketball clubs, strictly invitation only," Daisuke explained as he leaned against the doorjamb. "They have different events like three pointer shoot out, skills challenge, and stuff of that nature."

"And it's only by invitation?" Tetsumi asked, slightly disappointed. She would have loved to participate in such an event, especially if many of the teams playing in the Winter Cup were going to be there. That meant they would be able to scope out the competition and get an idea what they were up against.

"Yeah," Daisuke replied with a nod of his head. "It's sponsored by several colleges across Japan, it's kind of a free chance for them to scout all the best up and coming players in one place. Sure the could watch at the Winter Cup, but true potential shines when you're fighting for being the best in your area like the number one dunker or best three point shooter."

Tetsumi couldn't argue with that logic. A player would show his best skills to prove he or she was the best in one particular style. She could already imagine Kagami being a good contender for dunking and without a doubt Midorima would take the best three-point shooter.

"When is it happening?" Tetsumi asked, even if Seirin was not invited to participate it would probably be a good idea for them to attend the event.

"Three weeks from today," Aomine answered as he put an arm around her shoulder. "It's a week long event, thirty teams are supposedly competing."

"And there's no other way in?" Tetsumi asked, looking first at Aomine then to Daisuke. Neither one was really sure, but to their understanding short of a team getting an invitation to the event there was no other way it.

"I don't think so," Daisuke said with a shake of his head. "My brother said they got their invitation a couple of days ago, maybe you'll still get one."

"Perhaps," Tetsumi agreed with a small smile. "We had better get going, thank you again, Hiwatari-kun," she said with a polite bow.

"It was my pleasure, hopefully you're team makes it in. I'd like to see what you're capable of; Aomine says your pretty damn good. I'm definitely curious." Daisuke winked at her and turned his attention back to Aomine, who smirked. "See ya later, Aomine." The two-bumped fist before Daisuke went back inside and Aomine lead Tetsumi back towards the train station at the end of the block.

"Even if we don't get invited, I still think we will go watch," Tetsumi commented after a few moments of silence passed between them. Aomine glanced down at her and could see the wheels in her head were turning. "Of course, I believe we deserve to be invited," she chimed in with a small pout. Aomine chuckled at his girlfriend's distress about the situation. Obviously, Tetsumi was insulted to discover her team wasn't in the All Star Invitational.

"Don't worry, Shorty," Aomine said, tugging gently at a lose strand of hair that had fallen free from her bun. The girl huffed and playfully glared at him as she tucked the strand behind her ear. "You can watch and live vicariously through me," he grinned, earning and eye roll as a response. Aomine laughed and wrapped his arms around her small frame and kissed her cheek as they continued walking to the station.

* * *

-###-

* * *

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon and Tetsumi had no plans to do anything accept lounge on the couch. Tomorrow summer practice would begin, meaning no vacation time whatsoever. She stretched from her spot on the couch and looked over at Aomine, who has napping on the other side of the couch. He had arrived around lunch and decided to hang out with her. She smiled at him and tilted her head slightly as she watched him sleep.

The front door came unlocked and Tetsumi sat up straighter, peaking towards the doorway. In walked a redhead dressed in a sleeveless black shirt and red basketball shorts. Tetsumi sighed and shake her head as Kagami let himself in and dropped his bag by the front door.

"I gave you that key for emergencies, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi chided as the redhead wandered straighten into the kitchen. "How many times do I need to tell you that?" she asked him, but Kagami waved the matter off as he dug around in the refrigerator.

"Did your mom bring anything from last night?" Kagami inquired.

"Yes, top shelf and it has your name on it, literally," Tetsumi chuckled and Kagami beamed as he pulled out a to-go box that indeed had his name scribbled on it. "Mother dearest always thinks of you when it comes to food, she thinks of this guy too," Tetsumi added in, nodding towards the sleeping Aomine.

"Ugh, he's here aren't you guys sick of each other yet?" Kagami asked as he sat on the chair across from Tetsumi and Aomine. He opened up the box of food and licked his lips, staring at the burger and fries.

"Aren't you going to heat that up?" Tetsumi laughed lightly.

"Too hungry," Kagami replied as he took a huge bite out of the cold burger. "What are you two doing anyways?" he asked her when he finished chewing.

"Just being lazy before practice starts again tomorrow," Tetsumi explained to him. "Did Riko-chan mention anything about an invitational?"

Kagami stuffed some fries in his mouth, "Whaff?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi scolded with a wave of her finger.

"Bhen blont blask questions while I'm eating," Kagami retorted just as he swallowed all the fries in his mouth. Tetsumi shook her head and sighed, she had no idea how she managed to attract such strange people into her life sometimes. "So what invitational?" he asked as he got up to get something to drink.

"Guys, you gotta let me nap!" Aomine snapped as he grabbed one of the throw pillows and placed it over his head. Tetsumi and Kagami both looked in his direction then looked to one another. "I'm gonna get cranky!" he growled with a snort.

"You're always cranky," Kagami commented with an eye roll as he grabbed a sports drink from the fridge. Aomine sat up and glared at Kagami, who glared right back at him. Tetsumi just assumed that it was better to let them argue with one another, they were probably never going to stop.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Aomine grumbled.

"Yes, right here with my food," Kagami retorted as he plopped back down on the chair and started eating again. Aomine narrowed his eyes at Kagami before looking back at Tetsumi. She shook her head and Aomine, sighed with an eye roll. "What were you saying, Munchkin?"

"There's some basketball tournament happening in Osaka and it's by invitation only, did Riko-chan mention anything about it?" Tetsumi inquired with a bit of hope, but Kagami pursed his lips and shook his head. His reaction caused Tetsumi to deflate a bit; she really wanted to participate in it. The fact remained that it would be good practice and exposure for Seirin, especially since they were a young team. Going to the invitational and participating would put them all on the map. Not to mention, Tetsumi kind of wanted to redeem herself after the game with Aomine's team.

"What kind of tournament is it anyways?" Kagami asked before taking a bite out of his burger.

"All Star Invitational," Aomine answered for Tetsumi. "They invite thirty teams across Japan to play in an All Star tournament. Fifteen high school teams and fifteen middle school teams, but its invitation only there's no other way in."

Kagami was intrigued. "Is your team in it?"

"Is that a serious question?" Aomine snorted. "Of course we're in."

The redhead rolled his eyes, almost ready to throw Aomine out. He tried to get along with him for Tetsumi's sake, but sometimes he really asked for it. When he looked at Tetsumi, he relaxed a bit knowing she would get upset if they started arguing. Biting his tongue, Kagami reined himself in and looked back at Aomine.

"When is this said tournament being held?" Kagami inquired, trying to sound as polite as he possibly could when really he just wanted to flip the table over.

"Three weeks from now, it's a week long and yes all the Generation of Miracles will be there," Aomine said, mostly to antagonize Kagami. Tetsumi wasn't really surprised to find that all her ex-teammates would be there. It would be a crime if they weren't in it. Even their new teammates were a forced to be reckoned with.

"Well we'll be there," Kagami grumbled before tossing a fry into his mouth.

"But you won't be playing, but that's all right you can save yourself from the embarrassment of losing again," Aomine boasted, earning a small kick from Tetsumi. He glanced at her and shrugged his shoulders. "You wouldn't stand a chance in beating any of us."

"You're one cocky bastard aren't you?" Kagami seethed, and Tetsumi could see the situation was starting to get tense.

"It's not cocky if it's true," Aomine shot back and Tetsumi looked at her boyfriend, gesturing for him to stop. "You think you're so damn great, but honestly your nothing."

"Dai-kun!" Tetsumi snapped, having heard enough.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Kagami retorted as he stood up. "You could do so much better than this arrogant jackass, Tetsumi." With those words, Kagami left the room and gathered his things before leaving the apartment.

"Are you kidding me?" Tetsumi snapped as she jumped up from the couch and stormed to her room.

Aomine cursed under his breath, realizing he may have very well gone too far. He sighed and climbed off the couch, making his way down the hall to Tetsumi's room. When he reached her room, the door was left ajar and he could hear her opening and closing drawers. Licking his lips, Aomine knocked on the door and asked if he could come in. Not even a few seconds later, Tetsumi and pulled the door open and glared at him. He felt bad, he really did, but Kagami just got under his skin.

"Okay, I might have taken it a little too far, but—"

"Stop! I'm not going to listen to this," Tetsumi hissed as she shoved past him. Aomine tried to stop her, but she yanked free from his hold and turned back around. "I get it! You're jealous of Kagami-kun, but that doesn't give you a right to put him down all the time. He's my friend, Dai-kun! And if you can't get along with him then this will never work." She gestured between the two of them and shook her head as she left the apartment.

Aomine gritted his teeth and punched the wall. He huffed and fell against the wall, sliding down to the floor. He buried his face in his hands and laid his head back against the wall.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Kise dribbled the ball as he stared at the hoop before him. He let out a breath and took the shot landing it perfectly. A small smirk came onto his lips as he walked to get the ball. As he followed it, he stopped upon seeing black and red basketball shoes. He would recognize those anywhere and looked up at the person before him.

"Kagamicchi," Kise smiled as he grabbed the ball and spun it on his finger. "Up for a game?"

"I could blow off some steam," Kagami replied as he dropped his bag down by a nearby bench. When he turned back to Kise, he slapped the ball from his hands and ran to the other side of the court. The blond blinked a few times before realizing what had just happened.

"You're better when you need to blow off steam," Kise joked as he tried to block Kagami, but the redhead ripped past him. When he dunked the ball, Kise furrowed his brows and nodded his head slowly. "So what happened?"

Kagami passed him the ball and shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing."

"Lair," Kise snorted as he dribbled the ball and took it back down the court. Kagami followed after him and tried to steal it, but Kise spun around him with ease and did a lay-up. When the ball fell through the hoop, Kagami caught it and dribbled the ball between his legs. "Is it about the invitational? You guys not get invited?"

"That, but mostly that arrogant, pompous, lowlife, bastard—"

"Oh, you mean Aominecchi," Kise laughed. He knew exactly where Kagami was coming from because at one point Kise felt the same way. Of course, Kise and Aomine were able to get along much better. "He's a jerk sometimes, but he's really not that bad once you get to know him." The blond shrugged his shoulders and stole the ball from Kagami, who quickly got it back.

"What does Munchkin even see in him?" Kagami inquired as he dribbled the ball in his hand.

"They've always been close," Kise explained as he blocked the redhead's shot. "You know what it is?"

"What?" Kagami asked as he and Kise went toe to toe.

"You two need to prove yourselves to one another, the invitational would be the best way to make that happen," Kise explained as he tried to slip past Kagami, but the redhead blocked his path. "I can get you guys in."

Kagami stopped dead in his tracks, allowing Kise to easily take a two pointer. The blond looked at Kagami, who stared at him with intrigue. "How can you do that?"

"I know a guy," Kise replied with a shrug. "I'll pull some strings."

"Why would you help me?" Kagami inquired with a raised brow.

"I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it for Tetsucchi," Kise explained with a simple shrug as he passed the ball to Kagami. "Whether she is with you or Aominecchi if you two keep fighting with one another she's going to be caught in the middle. Honestly, she doesn't deserve that and the two of you know that."

Kagami was silent and was about to say something when he heard some yelling. The two both turned towards the direction of the yelling. Kise mouth fell open and Kagami stared in disbelief.

"Is that…" Kagami began, pointing across the way to the basketball courts on the other side of the sidewalk.

"Tetsucchi?" Kise groaned.

The petite girl stood with her arms crossed and five big guys surrounding her.

"The hell is she doing?" Kagami asked, knowing Kise had no idea.

"Something stupid, I bet," the blond replied and the two exchanged looks before rushing over to the other side to intervene before things got bad.


	39. BULLY

**Author's Note: **I'm sorry for the delay it is due to the fact that one I have been lazy and two I didn't have time to write and three my motivation kinda fell, but here is the next chapter! I swear to finish this story, even if it takes me a while. So sorry everyone!

* * *

**BULLY**

Tetsumi was normally a soft-spoken girl; she rarely lashed out at random strangers on the street. The thing was though Tetsumi had principles. One of those principles was to help those who needed it. It was only natural for her to stop and stare when she saw five jerks picking on some middle school students. She was short compared to them, but then again she was short compared to most basketball players. Tetsumi tried to reel herself in, but when one of them started pushing the middle schoolers, Tetsumi snapped.

She stormed right over to the court, ignoring her brain that was telling her she shouldn't get involved without someone to back her up. Of course, Tetsumi didn't care because no one deserved to be pushed and shoved around a basketball court. If people had something to prove, they could simply show it with their skills at basketball. The fact that these were high school students bullying middle school students made it even more annoying. When Tetsumi got onto the court, she called out to the high schoolers and cut in between them and the younger kids. The one on the ground scampered onto his feet with the help of his friends and watched with wide eyes.

"What's your problem?" Tetsumi asked as she crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. The five high schoolers all looked down at her with intrigue and started chuckling. "It's not nice to pick on people."

They laughed even more and started mocking her, which caused her to raise a brow. She glanced at the middle school students as they looked completely defeated. It made her angry, because she knew what it was like to be bullied on a court. She was a girl and none of the boys ever let her play with them and other girls ignored her entirely. Most of the time she had to play alone and when she did, people bullied her off the court. It was all very nostalgic, she half expected Ogiwara to come bounding up. He was the one, who saved her before, but then he moved away and she was on her own.

"Run along little girl, this is our court," the leader of the group said with a big cheesy grin. He leaned towards her and looked her up and down like a piece of meat. Tetsumi narrowed her eyes at him and waved him away from her. When he stood back up he chuckled and looked at his friends. "Actually you can stay, you're kinda cute." He reached for her, but Tetsumi moved away.

"They were using the court, wait your turn or go somewhere else. It's that simple, but don't bully these kids. You should know better than that," Tetsumi said to them with a simple shrug of her shoulders.

"This is our court little girl, so get out of here unless you wanna," he paused as he reached for her face and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Tetsumi slapped his hand away, which he didn't seem to like one bit. "Feisty little bitch, aren't you?" he asked darkly as he tried to grab her, but Tetsumi shoved him back.

"Don't touch me!" she snapped harshly.

"I'm gonna teach you something you little bitch!" the guy shouted.

"Seriously, what's your problem? Bullying little kids and now me? You have some issues!" Tetsumi hissed at him.

"Let me teach you something—"

"That's not very nice," Kagami's voice broke out as he grabbed the guy's wrist. He was about to slap her, but Kagami's hand tightened around his wrist and he shoved him back into his friends. "You should never hit a girl and where do you get off bullying some little kids?"

"Kagami-kun?" Tetsumi asked in surprise and smiled weakly.

"Who the hell are you?" the guy asked.

"We're her friends and we don't like people touching her," Kise stated as he came forward and placed a hand on Tetsumi's shoulder. She blinked a few times in surprise and looked at him. "So let's do this the right way shall we?" the blond asked with a smirk as he spun a ball on his index finger and forcefully tossed it at the guy.

"Two on two?" the guy asked with a laugh.

"No, no," Kagami interrupted with a shake of his head. "The three of us, against the five of you."

"You guys must think your some kind of shit to handle the five of us," the leader boasted with a smirk as he rested the ball against his hip. Tetsumi sighed and shook her head; sometimes she didn't understand why people had to be so mean and cocky. She believed that everyone could play basketball and be amazing at it with some hard work and dedication. It was people like this that made it hard for others. "But if you want to get beat then let's do it." He passed the ball back to Kagami, who caught it with ease and smirked.

"I like making guys like you eat their words," Kagami chided. His crimson eyes drifted over to Tetsumi and Kise, who both nodded to him. The redhead rolled his shoulders a bit and glared at the high school kid. "We'll even let you start us off." He did a bounce pass to the leader.

The game began. The leader of the group of rude bullies took the lead, but Kise and blocked his path. He dribbled defensively, watching Kise who seemed like an exited puppy waiting for his owner to throw the ball. Tetsumi used this moment to slip around him and knock the ball from his hand. He wasn't expecting it at all and tried to get it back, but Kagami kept the ball away from him and passed it to Kise. The blond caught the ball with ease and dunked it right into the hoop.

When Kise landed on the ground, he turned around and smirked. The high schoolers seemed to finally realize that they had their work cut out for them. Tetsumi placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head, smiling cutely. Kagami held picked the basketball up and held it out to them.

"This is going to be fun," Kise spoke up first, causing the high schoolers to flinch.

* * *

-###-

* * *

"Seriously Munchkin, what were you thinking?" Kagami asked before stuffing his face with a burger. How much he ate never ceased to amaze Tetsumi. The more annoying part was he never gained a single pound. Then again, Kagami worked out like a maniac and played basketball all the livelong day.

"They were being mean to those kids, I couldn't just walk by," Tetsumi sighed as she sipped quietly on her vanilla shake. Kise was sitting beside her munching quietly on his fries listening in. "He was pushing them around and it just didn't sit right with me."

"And what if Kise and I didn't show up? What then?" Kagami asked as he picked up his drink. The blond nodded in agreement, Tetsumi was far from menacing. She was small and petite and cute, more like an angry Chihuahua rather than a vicious lion on the African Savanna. Of course, Kise had seen Tetsumi get mean a few times and hold her own. There were five guys though; he doubted that she could handle that all alone.

"I could have handled myself," Tetsumi deadpanned with a shrug, causing Kagami to choke on his drink. "I'm stronger than I look." She smiled and Kagami sputtered while Kise laughed loudly.

"They would have chewed you up and spit you right back out," Kagami teased with an eye roll. "But at least you're confident."

"I had the situation handle, both of you could have stayed out of it," Tetsumi assured them, but both Kise and Kagami laughed at her words. The girl frowned at their laughter and shook her head as she stared out the window.

"Okay, okay," Kise said after he calmed down. "You're right, Tetsucchi you had it covered. Besides, it was good you got involved that's not the first time those jerks have been around here bullying the younger kids."

Tetsumi shook her head disappointed to hear that. Kise started telling them that that group in particular came around on weekends and chased the kids off all the time. He also mentioned it wasn't the first time he had dealt with them. Apparently a couple of weeks ago, Kasamatsu had handled the situation. It didn't seem like they had learned their lesson though.

"They'll be at the invitational," Kise commented, earning looks from both Tetsumi and Kagami. "Maybe you can teach them something there, Tetsucchi." He smiled and sipped on his drink.

Tetsumi furrowed her brows. "We didn't get invited."

"Kagamicchi mentioned that, but I can get you guys in," Kise said with a wink, which caused Tetsumi to tilt her head. "Don't worry about the how, just wait for the invitation."

"Okay, I won't question how you're doing this," Tetsumi agreed with a small smile. "It's all legitimate right?"

"Yes, of course," Kise laughed lightly. "What kind of guy do you think I am, Tetsucchi?"

She giggled and sipped on her vanilla shake. Her eyes drifted over to the door where she saw Aomine walk in. He stopped and looked back at her with his hands shoved in the pockets of his jacket. Tetsumi looked down for a moment then licked her lips. Kise noticed her change of mood and looked to the door. When he spotted Aomine, who pressed his lips together and popped them a moment later. Kagami furrowed his brows at the two's odd behavior and looked over his shoulder. He saw Aomine and sighed softly, gesturing for the ace to come over.

"Kagami-kun you—" Tetsumi tried, but Kagami waved it off and scooted over a seat, allowing Aomine to sit in front of Tetsumi. When Aomine sat down he took in a deep breath.

"As it turns out, we will be seeing you at the All Star Invitational. When we meet on the court, I'll show you just how good I am," Kagami said to Aomine, who stared at him in confusion. "So no apology needed."

"I wasn't going to apologize to you," Aomine snorted, causing Kagami to glare in annoyance. "But, I accept your challenge."

"You two are incorrigible," Tetsumi chided.

"Look," Aomine began and cleared his throat, laying his arms out on the table. "I don't like him, but you're right," he pointed to Kagami, who muttered something about the feeling being mutual, "we'll have to get along because he's in your life, so I will try to be more…understanding."

Tetsumi stared at Aomine and smiled weakly. "Just be nice to him and all my teammates, that's all I'm asking."

"I don't mind if he's an asshole, at least he's being honest," Kagami chimed in with a shrug as he took another bite out of a burger. Kise chuckled, but had to agree with Kagami. Aomine was much more interesting when he was unfiltered.

"No, it's not okay," Tetsumi chided, throwing a fry at Kagami. The redhead scrunched up his nose and waved the matter off. "You guys don't have to like each other, but you aren't going to bully each other. I don't like it, so are we good now?"

Kagami and Aomine looked at one another for a moment, before nodding slowly and turning back to Tetsumi.

"I give them two days before they're arguing again," Kise whispered into Tetsumi's ear, causing the girl to laugh lightly. To be honest she gave them about twenty-four hours.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Kise dragged an annoyed Kasamatsu with him to the Seirin Basketball Gym. The captain of Kaijo had fumed the whole way, but Kise didn't seem to pay him any mind at all. They could already here the squeaking of basketball shoes and the dribbling of the ball as they approached the double doors. Kise grabbed the handles to both doors and flung them open dramatically. Kasamatsu merely rolled his eyes and kicked Kise, causing him to tumble into the gym.

"Ouch! So mean, senpai!" Kise whined with teary eyes as he got back onto his feet and dusted off his school uniform. When he raised his golden eyes, he noticed everyone was looking their way.

"Ki-kun? What are you doing here?" Tetsumi asked as she walked through the seniors.

"I have come to give you this," Kise replied as he pulled out a white envelope from the pocket of his jacket. He held it out to her, and she smiled.

"Is that..." she trailed as she took the envelope and opened it up. Her smile grew even wider, if that was even possible. "Ki-kun! Thank you!" Tetsumi walked up to him and threw her arms around him. Kise laughed and returned the hug, even picked her up from the ground before letting her go.

"How'd you get us in?" Kagami asked, resting a ball against his hip. Tetsumi walked back over to the team and showed them the invitation to the All Star Week.

"I told you, I knew a guy," Kise answered with a shrug and looked to his captain. "Kasamatsu helped too." He nodded to the bushy browed point guard, who shrugged his shoulders half-heartedly.

"We appreciate this," Riko said as she looked up from the letter.

"Just make it worth it," Kasamatsu chimed in. "Let's go, Kise." He turned on his heels and started walking out of the gym. The blond waved to Seirin and trotted after his captain.

"I take back every negative thought I had about him," Hyuga announced the moment the two star players of Kaijo were out the door. The rest of Seirin all laughed, but it was cut short as Riko blew on her whistle. Everyone flinched and covered their ears as their coach let the whistle fall from her lips and onto her chest.

"The invitational will be here quick, that means double the practice!" Riko declared with authority.

Seirin all whined in unison with the exception of Tetsumi, who merely chuckled.

"What was that? You want three-a-days?" Riko barked.

"No, coach!" everyone exclaimed, standing to attention.

"That's what I thought, now start running suicides!" Riko shouted and blew on her whistle.


	40. FORMAL

**Author's Note:** Hi everyone, I know it has been a very long time. I apologize for this delay, and I am going to be trying to update this story once every two weeks. I've recently found a little time to write again and I've spent the past week rereading this story. It's a little bit of a mess, and I am so sorry for the typos and grammar errors. I'll try to keep those at a minimum and will eventually get around to cleaning it up. I hope there are still some out there who want to read this story, please review! Thanks for reading! P.S. I did change a few things from the main story line of the anime, to keep things a little more interesting.

* * *

**FORMAL**

"This is the dream," Tetsumi said, beaming with excitement as she stared out the window of the bus. It was hard to believe that Seirin was going to be competing in the All Stars Tournament. Several other busses were parked in front of theirs. Some of the most talented teams from junior high and high school level were standing out on the patio in front of the massive training facility for the National Japanese Sports teams.

"Alright! Everyone off!" Riko hollered from the front as the bus driver opened the doors. The whole team was excited, but there was also a hint of intimidation. Not only was this a team event, but it was also an individual assessment coming from universities and the National Committee. There was definitely a lot of pressure on all the teams.

The sun shone brightly that morning, practically blinding Tetsumi. There were at least a hundred people scurrying about signing in, taking pictures, having interviews. For the briefest moment, Tetsumi felt like an actual celebrity.

Tetsumi looked around and let out a slow breath. She hadn't seen this much excitement since the final back in Teiko. Across the way, Tetsumi smiled spotting Kise and the rest of the Kaijo team having a group picture taken. He must of spotted her because the moment the picture was snapped, Kise jogged over.

"I don't think they were finished," Tetsumi said to him with a smile. Kise waved the subject off and started to examine her, even had her spin around. "What are you doing?"

"The actual event starts tomorrow, today is just the party, but I want to make sure you are ready to go." He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked over her head. "Kagamicchi! I'm looking forward to facing you in individual rounds, make sure you sign up for them."

Kagami snickered. "Oh don't worry, I gotta mop the floor with you, the stick in the mud, and the asshole."

Tetsumi rolled her eyes. "He means: Thank you, Ki-kun for getting us in."

"Of course," Kise replied with a nod.

"Kise! Let's go!" Kasamatsu shouted from the stairs leading up to the training facility. The blond whipped around and announced he was on his way. When he looked back at Tetsumi and Kagami. He wished them both luck and raced off before Kasamatsu came after him and dragged him back by his ear.

"That's one, four to go," Kagami said, tugging on Tetsumi's ponytail before he wandered over to the rest of the Seirin team. Riko was getting them checked in and finding what rooms they would be staying in.

Tetsumi looked around, trying to find Aomine and his team. She didn't see their colors, so she assumed they had not yet arrived. Deciding she would find him later at the party that evening, Tetsumi turned to join her team. She stopped and blinked when someone took a picture of her. The flash blinded her and the reporter beamed.

"I've heard so much about you!" the female reporter gushed, pulling out a pen and notebook. "Mind if I interview you? You are the talk of the entire event!" The reporter had pigtails and was dressed in a pink sundress with boots on her feet. She was very young as far as Tetsumi could tell.

"I am?" Tetsumi asked with a small smile.

"The only girl on an all boys team, that's pretty amazing," the reporter chimed. "I'm Hanase Reimi. I'm a journalism major at Kyoto University and was sent to cover this event." She bowed politely and jotted something down on her notebook.

"I see," Tetsumi smiled.

"I only have two questions," Reimi explained, holding up two fingers. Tetsumi nodded, and told her to ask. "Do you feel like your opposing team and your teammates see you differently?"

"I'm sure they do, because I am a girl and I am smaller than most of them. The thing is, none of them play differently and that is far more important. Guys and girls are always separated in sports, but girls can play just as well as boys and can even be better than them. My team may see me different, but they don't treat me different than any other player. As for other teams, they always think I am the manager or an assistant coach," Tetsumi paused for a moment and stifled a laugh. "The look on their faces when they see I am a player is always priceless, but they trash talk me like they would any other."

Reimi smiled as she jotted everything down and nodded. She finished writing and licked her lips. "My second question is, do you think your team will beat the other members of the Generation of Miracles?"

Tetsumi took in a deep breath and looked down at her shoes for a moment. Pursing her lips, Tetsumi nodded her head and looked up at Reimi. "Absolutely."

"Well aren't you confident, Tetsumi," Akashi's voice came. Reimi lit up the moment she saw him.

"If you haven't noticed, Sei-kun," Tetsumi said, batting her lashes. "My team has already beaten two."

"And failed against another," Akashi shot back, causing Tetsumi to click her tongue. Reimi was beaming, jotting every little thing down. She quickly pulled up her camera and snapped a few pictures, encouraging them to continue on.

"Aomine was not in the game, we lost to his team, but not to him." Tetsumi flicked her hair out of her eyes. Akashi smirked and glanced at Reimi for a brief moment. "You'll see, teamwork and friendship will beat all of you in the Winter Cup."

"I look forward to that," Akashi said, his fiery eyes burning into hers. "I guess we'll see what your team is capable of in this competition."

"We will," Tetsumi agreed and excused herself just as her team was done getting checked in. "Good day, Sei-kun, Hanase-san." Tetsumi walked away and joined up with Furihata and Kagami.

"Is everything okay?" Furihata asked, as Tetsumi walked in between the two of them.

"It's fine," Tetsumi replied with a small smile.

"Is it?" Kagami asked, looking unconvinced.

"Don't worry boys, I'm just excited." Tetsumi looped her arms through both boys and tugged them along. Kagami still didn't seem convinced, but he let it go. He was excited enough for the whole team anyways.

* * *

-_**###**_-

* * *

"It's a big deal, a chance to meet a lot of people that'll get you through a lot of doors." Tetsumi smiled at Hyuga as she helped him with his tie. Everyone was expected to dress up for the dinner party. Riko was also helping the guys with their ties. "Don't worry, Captain."

"I'm not worried." Hyuga stared up at the ceiling, but looked down when Tetsumi patted his chest.

"You are, lot of big teams are here and a lot of recruiters. It's okay to freak out." Tetsumi smiled at him and turned around, making sure all the guys were good to go. As her eyes scanned across the room, she frowned when she realized Kagami was missing. "Where's Kagami-kun?"

"Probably causing trouble somewhere," Riko huffed. "Tetsumi, you aren't dressed. Go, go! We can't be late." The coach shooed Tetsumi right out of the room and across the hall to the other room.

Tetsumi hurried over to the small closet of her and Riko's room. She wasn't normally one to get dressed up for a black tie event, but she had to admit she was very excited. Unzipping the bag her simple, yet elegant cream colored dress was in Tetsumi bit her lip. She had shaved her legs, curled her hair, put on her makeup and now she was about to feel like a princess.

In a matter of minutes, Tetsumi was in her airy gown and slipped on her heels. She stared at herself in the mirror and put on her teardrop shaped earrings.

"Well," Kagami chuckled as he stood in the doorway. Tetsumi looked at him through the mirror and smiled. "You look beautiful." He shut the door and walked over to her.

Tetsumi turned to face him and smiled. "You look good too."

Kagami adjusted his jacket and held out his hand to Tetsumi. "Shall we go find your boyfriend?"

"Hey, you said that without gagging," Tetsumi teased as they walked out of the room together.

"I'm growing up." Kagami laughed.

When they got out into the hall, the rest of the team was waiting for them. Together they all started walking to the stairwell. Just before they went down, Riko told everyone to behave and not to start any fights—that was mostly directed at Kagami. As they descended the stairs, Tetsumi could already here people talking and see the flashes of cameras.

The moment they entered the fray, people started asking which team they were and who they were looking forward to facing off against. Kagami and Tetsumi were soon apart and being interviewed. All the questions were making Tetsumi's head spin. She smiled and answered the questions, trying to walk on. It seemed impossible though as someone stopped her every turn.

"You were on the Teiko team?"

"How has your recovery been?"

"You play for Seirin now?"

"Do you plan to make a career in basketball? Nationals? University?"

"What events will you be participating in?"

"Kuroko-san, over here!"

Tetsumi froze. She just froze and opened her mouth to speak. No words came out of her mouth she was overwhelmed. Even if she tried to get away more just surrounded her and followed her. The rest of her teammates seemed to have been lost in the crowd, which made her uncomfortable. Tetsumi never did well in big crowds like this.

She let out a breath and tried to keep her composure, but sweat started to form on her body. Her lungs started to feel tighter. Tetsumi felt like she was about to throw up with all the flips her stomach was doing. Her knees were starting to buckle.

"I'm sure you all have plenty of questions, but Tetsumi-chan needs to get to her table," Midorima said as he walked up and placed a hand on the small of Tetsumi's back. Relief quickly washed over her. The beating of her heart went back to normal, the flush on her cheeks started to fade, and she didn't feel like she was drowning. "Please, excuse us." Midorima smiled politely and bowed before leading Tetsumi towards the double doors across the room where many tables had been set up.

"Thank you," Tetsumi said the moment they entered the room. "Thanks a lot, Rima-kun." She looked up at him.

"Don't mention it," Midorima said, waving the matter off. "I didn't realize your team had gotten in."

Tetsumi nodded. "Ki-kun helped."

"That's right I did, so all of you can thank me," Kise announced as he came walking over in an all black suit with a Kaijo blue colored tie. He bowed dramatically and glanced at Aomine beside him.

"You look…" Aomine began, but shook his head and walked to her. Tetsumi blushed when he kissed her cheek and put his arm around her. She looked at him in his black button down with a silk red tie hanging loosely around his neck. Shaking her head, Tetsumi quickly went to fix his tie and chuckled.

"So it seems we are all reunited," Akashi said as he walked up, dressed in a tux with a white vest and matching white tie. He was the purest form of regality and power. Behind him, tall as a skyscraper, Murasakibara munched on some sweets. "Sooner than I anticipated, but I expect the best from all of you regardless."

* * *

-_**###**_-

* * *

Kagami sighed in relief when he finally got out of the lobby where too many people were. He was certain his picture had been taken at least fifty times. If he were the type to believe in it, his soul would have been long since stolen. The redhead looked around the ballroom. He stopped when he noticed Tetsumi in a circle with the Generation of Miracles. It was the first time he had seen them all together in one place.

Standing all together, they didn't seem like much at all. Kagami knew better than though. He crossed his arms over his chest and stood beside a pillar. When he leaned against it, someone cleared their throat. Kagami glanced to Kasamatsu, standing beside him.

"Kise is a little shit, but he's come a long way since we found him back in Teiko," Kasamatsu said, bringing his glass to his lips. He sipped on his drink and clicked his tongue. "He doesn't realize it, but he's better than they credit him for."

"What are you talking about, his head is so big it barely fits through any doors," Kagami chortled.

"He's cocky, but believe it or not he constantly wants to get better and better," Kasamatsu replied with a small shrug. "The fool actually grew on me." The steely-eyed Kaijo captain nodded and walked away.

"Which one is Kise?"

Kagami furrowed his brows. He recognized that voice. When he turned around, Kagami's eyes widened. Himuro Tatsuya, his brother, smiled as he walked up dressed to the nines in a black suit with a pink tie and a pink rose lapel. He looked the same as he had the last time they saw one another. Kagami swallowed hard and shook his head.

"Tatsuya?" Kagami questioned, his mouth going dry. "I don't believe it."

"The rumor is your team barely made it," Tatsuya commented with a gloating smirk. Kagami glared, but kept his mouth shut as his brother stood beside him. They stared out at the Generation of Miracles as they talked amongst themselves. "I didn't think we'd run into one another—"

"We have a score to settle," Kagami interjected."You took off."

"I had my reasons." Tatsuya shrugged his shoulders, his eyes locked with Kagami's for a brief moment."I'll see you on the court."

"Wait just a damn minute!" Kagami barked, grabbing Tatsuya by his shoulder. The older of the two smirked and brushed Kagami's hand off his shoulder. "Why did you leave?"

Tatsuya smirked. "Doesn't matter."

"The hell it doesn't!" Kagami growled, earning a chuckle from Tatsuya. "You didn't say anything at all, you just left. I think I deserve an explanation."

"Have a good evening, Taiga," Tatsuya said and walked away. This time Kagami didn't stop him.

* * *

-_**###**_-

* * *

The party was in full swing, the announcements had been made, people had been introduced, and now everyone was eating and mingling. Tetsumi looked around the room, wondering where Kagami had wandered off too. He said he was going to get food and hadn't returned. Aomine on the other hand had gotten up for food twice and was about to go for a third helping. Murasakibara had just about cleaned out the entire dessert table. Tetsumi pursed her lips and tapped her chin.

"He's probably just talking to some reporters," Aomine said with a shrug. "Or maybe he wants to give you and me some space."

"Or you and that chicken," Tetsumi teased, pointing to the drumsticks on his plate.

"Hey, I will show this chicken a good time," Aomine replied before taking another big bite. "Do you want to go look for him?"

"It's not like him to disappear, especially when there is free food." Tetsumi stood up and went in search for him. Aomine called out to her and groaned as he got up from his chair and darted after her.

Tetsumi weaved through the tables and groups of people as they talked amongst themselves. She couldn't spot the redhead anywhere, which made her worry. When Kagami didn't eat something had to be terribly wrong. Tetsumi sighed and spotted Murasakibara talking with another guy with long hair.

"Mu-kun, have you seen a tall redhead walking around?" Tetsumi asked as she walked over. She stood beside the guy he was talking to and mouthed an apology for interrupting.

"A friend of yours, Atsushi?" the guy asked, looking at Tetsumi. He seemed friendly enough and was quite handsome as well. She smiled and bowed politely. "I'm Himuro Tatsuya."

"This is Tetsu-chin," Murasakibara introduced. "She's an old teammate."

"There are many rumors about you," Tatsuya said to her.

"All good, I hope," she laughed lightly.

"Indeed," Tatsuya smiled. "I assume you must be looking for Taiga."

Tetsumi narrowed her eyes slightly. She had never met this guy, nor had Kagami ever mentioned eyes drifted up to Murasakibara. "Who is this guy?" she asked the purple haired giant.

"Muro-chin? He's my teammate," Murasakibara explained before tossing some type of candy into his mouth. "He's nice, Tetsu-chin."

"Right," Tetsumi said and smiled seconds later, looking back to Tatsuya. "And how do you know, Kagami-kun?"

"We're old friends," Tatsuya replied, sounding cool and collected. Tetsumi bit her lip and excused herself. Just as she walked away, Tatsuya reached for Tetsumi's hand. "I've heard a lot about you from Atsushi, I look forward to seeing you on the court this week."

"There you are," Aomine said as he walked up. His eyes drifted to Tatsuya's hand holding hers. Tetsumi quickly pulled it away and walked over to Aomine, dragging him away before things escalated. "Who was that?"

"I'm not sure," Tetsumi answered as she pulled him out of the ballroom and into the lobby. People quickly went for them, but Tetsumi pulled him down the hall. When they got to the end, Tetsumi pulled him through an emergency exit.

"Oh no, please don't be coming out here to make-out," Kagami gagged as he looked at the two of them. His tie was undone, and Tetsumi could tell he was bothered. Earlier he had seemed excited and pumped especially with all the interviewers and meeting the competition.

"Where have you been? We were getting worried," Tetsumi said, placing her hands on her hips. She looked at him with a mildly irritated expression, but Kagami didn't appear to care.

"She was worried, not me," Aomine chimed in, earning a scowl from Tetsumi. "I mean, come back inside and enjoy the party."

Kagami looked away from the two of them and started walking down the sidewalk. He made his way over to the building that contained the indoor pool. Tetsumi furrowed her brows and grabbed Aomine's wrist dragging him along.

"I think he wants to be alone, Shorty," Aomine commented the moment that Kagami went inside the building.

"I know, but a bothered Kagami-kun is a volatile one." Tetsumi flung the door of the pool open and called after the redhead.

Aomine followed along. He knew that no matter what he or Kagami said, Tetsumi wouldn't stop until she knew what was wrong. She hated feeling useless, and that only increased after her injury. When they got to the pool, Aomine saw Kagami sitting on the diving board with his feet hanging mere inches above the waters surface.

"Is this because of that Himuro Tatsuya?" Tetsumi asked, her voice echoing in the room. She stood on one end of the pool, waiting for Kagami to answer. Aomine sat down on one of the nearby benches and saw Kagami tense up. They weren't friends, but Aomine could tell that Tetsumi had hit the nail on the head. "Who is he, Kagami-kun?"

"My brother," the redhead replied.

Aomine and Tetsumi were both surprised by that answer.

"Shouldn't you be happy to see him then?" Aomine asked, not that he really cared that much.

"We aren't related by blood, but he was the one who got me into basketball." Kagami laid back on the diving board and reached for the chain around his neck. He pulled it from under his shirt and rubbed his finger against the silver ring. "We played together in America."

"So why did you both come to Japan?" Aomine inquired. Tetsumi glanced at her boyfriend, who shrugged his shoulders. She smiled at him and nodded.

"I hadn't planned on coming back, at least not this soon," Kagami paused as he let go of his necklace and sat up, "I followed Tatsuya."

"And he came back because?" Aomine pressed, standing up from the bench.

"I honestly don't know, but it wasn't part of the plan." Kagami shrugged and looked at the two. "Why do you even care?"

"I have to by default," Aomine answered, causing Tetsumi to glare at him. "If Tetsumi is worried about you, then I in turn have to worry a little too. Whoever that guy is, forget about him. You have a goal here don't you?" Aomine shoved his hands into the pockets of his black pants.

"He's right, Kagami-kun," Tetsumi smiled. "The only thing that matters is we prove ourselves."

"Yeah, you guys can come sliding in second right behind me," Aomine teased, smirking coyly. Kagami snorted at the tanned players words. "So if that's all squared away, lets get back to the party. All you can eat buffet, you know." With those words, Aomine placed his hands on the back of his head and started heading for the door.

"You coming?" Tetsumi asked before she walked away.

Kagami looked at her and smiled slightly. He nodded and stood up, carefully walking down the diving board. When he got to the pool edge, he walked over to Tetsumi. He was about to place his hand on her head, but she quickly swatted it away.

"Listen, a hair style this amazing only happens about twice a year and it really needs to be shared with the world." She stuck her tongue out at him, and Kagami laughed.

"I had no idea you were so girly," Kagami commented.

"If you want I'll prove just how girly I can be, we can paint each others nails and braid our hair and even talk about our feelings," Tetsumi joked with a bright smile on her face.

"Hey! What part of free all you can eat buffet are you two missing?" Aomine shouted as he poked his head back into the room. Tetsumi turned to him and trotted over to his side. She looped her arm around his and looked back at Kagami. The redhead stuffed his necklace back into his shirt and followed after them.

Tomorrow the competition would begin and like hell he was going to let Tatsuya Himuro show him up. He didn't travel all the way to Japan to lose to him. Tatsuya may have taught him a lot about basketball, but Kagami had learned a lot since they parted ways.

"Oh, the reunions just keep coming," Aomine huffed.

Kagami raised a brow. When he walked out into the small courtyard, his eyes fell on two guys who looked exactly alike from the light brown hair to the narrow eyes. Kagami didn't recognize them at all, but Aomine seemed very agitated by their presence.

"It's been a long time, Tetsumi-chan, Daiki-kun," one of them said with a devilish grin.

"The Sasaki twins," Tetsumi muttered with a shake of her head. "Good to see you both again."

"Isn't it?" the other twin chuckled.


	41. LOW

**Author's Note:** Hello there readers! I've edited the first four chapters of this story, so if you feel the need to read this story while waiting for new chapters feel free to reread them. I'm no grammar expert though, so it might still have a few mistakes. Anyways! I am so grateful to everyone who commented on the last chapter, you all are so wonderful and thank you so much for continuing to have faith in this story and myself. I really hope that you all enjoy this chapter! Please leave your thoughts in a review, they truly encourage me. Until next time everyone!

* * *

**LOW**

Shota and Sota Sasaki were better known as the Genius Twins on the court, but not for the right reasons. Back in middle school, they played for Kamata West and caused a lot of issues for Kise and Aomine. Instead of playing basketball fairly, they drew fouls and flopped. They came to a point where they nearly got Kise ejected from the game—not to mention they managed to get Aomine benched. The true deal breaker was when they purposefully injured Tetsumi.

The entire Teiko team had gone into an uproar for that. Even though it was an obvious attack, the twins were allowed to play. That lit a fire inside Teiko; they went on to win the game. It had been nearly three years since that game, but the frustration was still fresh in Aomine's mind.

"We look forward to facing you again, Aomine-kun," Sota said, his eyes glinting. "Isn't that right, Shota?"

"Indeed, it's unfortunate that you all aren't on the same team anymore." Shota shoved his hands into the pocket of his jacket. He took a step closer to Aomine and Tetsumi. Without hesitation, Tetsumi grabbed Aomine and held him back. Hurting her was one thing, playing dirty, and getting Kise nearly ejected from the game just pushed Aomine over the edge.

"Is everything alright?" Kagami stepped in, dousing the fiery tension. Aomine never took his eyes off of the twins. "Why don't we all just head back inside?"

Tetsumi agreed and tugged on Aomine's arm. "We'll see you two on the court," she told them before walking away with Aomine in tow. Kagami stayed for a moment, watching the twins as they smiled. There smiles were more dark and twisty that Imayoshi's.

"This time we'll make sure we finish the job," Sota said.

"Aomine!" Tetsumi yelped as he yanked free from her grip. In the matter of seconds, Aomine had Sota by his shirt collar. His fist was clenched, teeth gritted, and eyes narrow.

Sota didn't appear to be bothered by it. He just stared back at Aomine with a maniacal smirk. Shota didn't go to his brother's aid he just stood by calmly. Kagami looked at Tetsumi. She looked worried.

"Go on," Sota challenged.

It was clear what he was doing now. Baiting Aomine into attacking. If the ace player fell for it, he'd be ejected from the competition. Aomine knew that, but he didn't care. Sota was making threats, and he wouldn't take them lying down.

"Don't let him bait you," Kagami spoke up, trying to be the reasonable one. He understood that there was a history, but this was no way to handle things. "Aomine."

"Don't be scared, you know you want too," Sota pressed, meeting Aomine's eyes. There was rage and fury burning within them. Aomine was usually very level headed. He knew when someone was toying with him, but he couldn't just let the bastard's comment slid. "We did it once, we'll do it again." Sota glanced at Tetsumi, which made Aomine's vice grip go even tighter.

Tetsumi bit her lip. She didn't know what to do. Aomine didn't listen well when he was riled up. Her eyes went to Shota, who pulled out his phone from his pocket. Even off the court, the Sasaki twins played dirty. Tetsumi shook her head and walked over to Shota, ripping his phone from his hand.

"What are you doing, Tetsumi-chan?" Shota asked, tilting his head. Acting innocent and talking sweetly would not convince Tetsumi of anything. She wasn't going to let them win like this. "May I have my phone back?" He held his hand out to her.

She glanced down at his hand for a brief second. When she looked back up at him, Tetsumi put on a friendly smile. "Sure," she replied, but rather than handing it over she threw it across the courtyard.

Shota's eyes darkened, but he didn't move as a hand gripped his shoulder tightly. He peered down at the hand and followed it to the face of its owner. Towering behind him, Murasakibara glared.

"Daiki," Akashi's spoke out as he stepped from the shadows of the building. "Let him go, you'll be disqualified if you hurt him."

Aomine wasn't one to listen to Akashi willingly, but he reluctantly let go of Sota and shoved him back. The twin smirked and glanced to Akashi.

"Shall we go, Shota?" Sota inquired as he adjusted his tie.

"Of course." Shota brushed off Murasakibara's hand and fixed his jacket. The twins turned toward his phone on the ground. Standing beside Shota's phone, Kise smiled and stepped on it.

"Oops, clumsy me," Kise smiled innocently as he heard the phone crunch beneath his foot. When he lifted his foot he knelt down and picked up the phone. "You should be more careful, Shota-san." He stood up straight and glared at the twins as he held the broken phone out to them. The screen was cracked to pieces, certainly unusable.

Neither twin spoke as Shota took the phone. They walked by Kise, Sota's shoulder brushing roughly against Kise's. The blonde copycat turned on his heels and watched them go back inside the building. When the door closed, he rolled his eyes and looked back to the others.

"The Sasaki Twins are an issue," Akashi said, gaining everyone's attention. "Don't let them get to you off the court or on it." His eyes went straight for Aomine.

"They threatened—"

"I know they did, because that's what they do," Akashi interjected, silencing Aomine. Tetsumi could not have agreed more with her previous captain. She walked over to Aomine and took his hand, lacing her fingers through his. "Keep your head on straight, they play the way they do because they know they could never beat us. Fighting with them off the court is exactly what they want."

"He deserved it," Aomine snorted. "Both of them did."

Akashi shook his head. "Regardless," he said firmly. "You will not engage them."

Kagami raised a brow. He had never met Akashi personally, but he couldn't believe he was barking orders. There was a dynamic between the Generation of Miracles, one he couldn't quite understand. He intended to talk to Tetsumi about it later.

"Whatever you say, Akashi," Aomine grumbled.

* * *

-###-

* * *

Tetsumi sat on the porch of the room she and Riko were sharing. From where she was sitting she could see the outdoor basketball courts. They were fully illuminated and there were a few people playing. She listened to the rhythmic beat of the basketball and watched the players running up and down the court. Tetsumi absentmindedly twirled a strand of hair around her finger. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop thinking about the Sasaki twins. They were like the Generation of Miracles—only cared about winning, the how didn't matter. On the other hand though, at least the Generation of Miracles relied on their own talent versus purposefully screwing other players and tricking the referees.

"Munchkin," Kagami said as he walked up to the railing of the small porch. Tetsumi smiled as he leaned against the railing, dressed in black basketball shorts and a red sleeveless shirt.

"Are you going to go play?" Tetsumi asked, nodding over to the courts.

"Checking out the competition," he replied with a shrug. "What happened earlier?"

"You mean with the twins?" Tetsumi sighed when Kagami nodded. "They play dirty, drawing fouls and flopping every chance they get. They, themselves, aren't very good at basketball, so they take out the good players on the opposing team."

"So they messed with you guys before? Cause from where I was standing none of your old teammates seemed very happy to see them." Kagami hopped over the railing with ease and sat down on the empty seat beside Tetsumi.

She nodded. "That's right," Tetsumi paused and looked at Kagami, "I don't particularly like them either, but they're here and the best way to handle them is to beat them."

"The guy who was barking orders, that was Akashi right?" Kagami asked.

"He's not all bad," Tetsumi assured him. "Akashi expects the best from all of us."

"Someone should knock him off his high horse," Kagami snorted, placing his hands behind his head as he slouched in his chair. "He isn't your captain, or the others."

"I know that, but Akashi wants to find out who is the best between us," Tetsumi explained. "But regardless of his orders, he has a point. The Sasaki twins want to beat us and they'll do everything they can to make sure they bring all of us down."

"They won't win like that, I won't let them," Kagami declared, which made Tetsumi smile. She wanted to believe him, but Kagami was a lot like Aomine. They both had a short fuse and once it was lit, hardly anything would keep them calm. "Let's go check out the competition." He stood up from his chair and climbed back over the black railing. When his feet touched the ground, he turned and held a hand out to Tetsumi.

"Okay," she agreed as she stood up and took his hand. Kagami helped her over the railing with ease. "Race you to the court!" She laughed as she darted across the lawn.

"Hey! No fair! You cheated!" Kagami shouted as he raced after her. That didn't make Tetsumi slow down it made her run faster. Taking in a deep breath, Kagami charged after her. He was right behind her and managed to wrap one arm around her. Tetsumi yelped and tried to get away, but Kagami had her feet off the ground.

"Now who's the cheater?" Tetsumi asked with a giggle.

"Still you," Kagami teased as he let her down and looked at the basketball courts. Tetsumi brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and watched the game alongside him.

"This is what I miss," Tetsumi said. She grabbed the chain link fence with one hand, watching with a light in her eyes. The junior high kids were all laughing and smiling. They were having fun and enjoying the game, just like Tetsumi did when she first started playing. It brought back many good memories of when she first went to Teiko. Sometimes Tetsumi wished she could turn back the hands of time and change how things turned out.

"It's not too late, you know," Kagami chimed, breaking her concentration. He looked at her and shrugged. "We still have until the Winter Cup to prove to all of them that teamwork and loving basketball is just as important as having a talent for it."

"You're a good guy." Tetsumi smiled and nodded. "You really are."

Kagami cleared his throat and felt the flush burning on his cheeks. "Don't get all mushy on me, now."

Tetsumi stifled a laugh with her hand. If she hadn't met Kagami that day on the courts by her home, she probably wouldn't be standing there. He reminded her of playing basketball to get better and better. Of course, Tetsumi could tell that Kagami had a special talent within him, but regardless of that Kagami loved basketball. It was a trait that was very inspiring to her.

"Hey! There you two are," Koganei panted as he ran over to them. "Riko and Hyuga are calling a team meeting, let's go." He waved for them to follow and jogged off before either one could say anything.

* * *

-###-

* * *

The Seirin team sat quietly in the room as Riko paced in the middle of them. They were all lounging, wondering what Riko was going to say. Hyuga watched her too. He sighed and got up from the foot of the bed. Everyone with the exception of Riko looked to him.

"The individual rounds start tomorrow," Hyuga began and let out a breath. "The individual scores will count toward the final calculation with team ranking."

"We know, so what's up?" Kagami asked with a shrug. All the information was covered during the formal party—not that he really listened to the whole thing.

Riko stepped forward, holding up a blue folder with the All Stars Tournament symbol stamped onto it. "They gave each of the coaches the official break down after the dinner," she explained and looked to each of the players. "They told you all about the individual rounds and how it ranks, but they didn't tell you what happens if you score low. Of course, it could be assumed." The Seirin coach opened up the folder and pulled out a ranking sheet for the high school level teams.

"There are fifteen teams on the high school level, but only five will participate in the team games," Hyuga said. "That means that ten teams won't even be allowed play at all as a team. Individual scoring will determine if we move on to the team games."

The Seirin team all looked amongst one another. Ten teams would be cut before they even had a chance to play. Those were some harsh rules, but it was the All Stars Competition. The judges and spectators wanted to see the most elite teams play. It was a preview of what would come during the Winter Cup at the end of the year.

"So basically we have to put our best players in each of the ranking events," Tetsumi concluded.

"That's right, now there is one event that is done tag-team," Riko said as she dug around in the folder. "The Alley-oop event."

"Kagami-kun and Tetsumi-chan, we're leaving that event up to you," Riko said to their first year duo, who had proved time and again they were a force to be reckoned with. She knew that they would be the best bet for them to rank high. Riko had witnessed a lot of tag team plays, but Tetsumi and Kagami were perfectly synchronized.

"But Riko-chan," Tetsumi injected with a shake of her head. "If Kagami-kun and I participate in that event, we won't be able to take part in any of the others."

"What?" Kagami growled as he shot up from the couch in the corner of the room.

"Those are the rules," Hyuga said, waving for Kagami to calm down. "But that is the best position for both of you."

"How?" Kagami asked with narrowed eyes.

"Based on the events it is the most logical move," Riko explained. "General Skills, Court Shoot Out, 3-Point Shoot Out, Slam Dunk, and finally the Alley-oop. Five events, but the Alley-oop is the only one worth double the points based on style, skill, and execution. That would make up for a loss in the Slam Dunk event."

"Not that I intend to lose," Kiyoshi assured them with a smile.

"So who is doing what?" Kagami asked.

Riko smiled. "You and Tetsumi-chan will handle the Alley-oop event, Teppei will be in the Slam Dunk event," she paused and placed her hand on Hyuga's shoulder. "Hyuga-kun will handle the 3-Point Shoot Out, Izuki will participate in the Court Shoot Out, and finally Furihata-kun will handle General Skills."

"Me?" Furihata blurted out. It was obvious that he had no idea Riko or Hyuga planned that. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. "But—"

"Have some confidence!" Riko barked at him before he could protest. Furihata straightened where he stood. "You'll be fine." She smiled at him, which didn't make him feel much better. He knew that behind that smile was the intention to kill him should he fail.

"We are not a low-ranking team," Hyuga announced. "We've worked hard and played harder. We deserve to be here, so let's prove it to everyone."

The Seirin basketball team stood to their feet. There was a burning determination in their eyes. Tetsumi knew they wanted to redeem themselves for the events during the Inter-High. This was what made them different from all the other teams. They weren't in it for individual gain; they wanted it as a whole.

"Seirin! Fight!" everyone shouted.

* * *

-###-

* * *

The basketball dribbled on the empty court. Each strike to the ground echoed like a gunshot. Sweet rolled down the side of his face. His hands gripped the basketball tightly before he moved into a shooting form. Himuro Tatsuya threw the ball up and just as if descended back into his hands, he shot it straight for the basket from the three-point line. The ball swished through the net and bounced onto the court floor.

Tatsuya let out a breath and wiped the sweat of his brow with his shirt. "Hello, Taiga."

"If I beat you in this competition, I want you to tell me why you left without saying anything," Kagami declared with his fist clenched at his side. He used his foot and kicked the ball up. When he caught, he hurtled it at Tatsuya. "Do we have a deal?"

"You don't honestly believe you'll beat me, do you?" Tatsuya asked as he spun the ball on his fingertip.

"I've done it before," Kagami glowered.

"Things are different now," Tatsuya pointed out with a half-hearted shrug. He stopped the ball from spin and rested it against his hip. "But if you are so sure you can beat me, I'll agree to it."

Kagami snorted. "You've gotten smug."

"I'm better than you," Tatsuya assured him.

"We'll see," Kagami replied before he turned on his heels and left the court. Back in America, Kagami and Tatsuya were the best of friends. It was because of Tatsuya that Kagami even started to play basketball. They practiced all the time together and even got a coach of their own. Over time, Tatsuya started to change and they didn't play together as much. And one day, Tatsuya was just gone. He went back to Japan without so much as a goodbye.

Sometimes, Kagami wasn't sure if he could forgive Tatsuya for that.


	42. FIGHT

**Author's Note:** Hi guys! I suppose a writing bug hit me, hopefully it'll last. Here's the next chapter, thank you all for the reviews! Your support keeps me inspired. Enjoy! Also more fluffy chapters will come after the competition, it is the summer time in the story after all...I'm thinking a trip to the beach? What do you guys think?

* * *

**FIGHT**

Tetsumi sat down on one of the benches beside the track. The Osaka National Training facility was absolutely beautiful and state of the art. There was plenty of space, more equipment than she'd ever seen, and some of the best trainers in the country worked here. Tetsumi never imagined herself being at a place like this, especially with her injury.

The morning air was crisp and fresh, a perfect morning to go for a run. She tightened the laces of her shoes and double-checked the straps of her brace. When she stood up, she started to stretch. Warm rays of sunlight broke through the trees and lit up the track and field. Tetsumi closed her eyes and faced the sun, soaking it in.

In four hours, the first event of the individual tournament would begin. Furihata would kick everything off for the General Skills Challenge. He'd be ranked among fourteen other players from some of the best teams across Japan. She actually saw him in the gym on her way outside. He appeared completely terrified. Tetsumi had faith in him, and so did the rest of Seirin.

"Why are we doing this? At this ridiculous hour? You know, the competition isn't until 10:00am and we aren't even going today. We would have—"

Tetsumi placed her hand over Kagami's mouth. He huffed and pulled her hand from his mouth. "Running is good for you, Kagami-kun."

"So is sleep," Kagami retorted.

Tetsumi giggled and playfully punched his arm. She jogged off down the track. Kagami rolled his shoulders and dragged himself after her. He really didn't want to run, but Tetsumi literally jumped on his bed until he fell out of it. After yelling at her and throwing all his pillows at her, Tetsumi told him to meet her at the track for a morning run. Before she left, Tetsumi told Kagami it was not optional and she'd be more violent if he wasn't down there.

"Come on, Kagami-kun!" Tetsumi shouted as she turned and ran backwards.

"Why are you so excited?" Kagami asked when he caught up.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Tetsumi smiled as she placed her hands on Kagami's back and pushed him forward. "We're here in this huge event and I have a feeling we're going to prove how amazing of a team we are."

Kagami peered over his shoulder and chuckled. "Okay, Munchkin. Let's see if you can keep up?"

Tetsumi raised a brow and yelped as Kagami sped off. She smirked and raced after him. They ran around the track three times before both of them collapsed near the benches. Sweat beaded on their foreheads and rolled down their faces.

Kagami groaned as he lay back on the ground and shook his head. "You still excited?"

"No, I'm good." Tetsumi laughed as she rested her head on her curled knees. "Kagami-kun?"

"What?" he asked as he grunted while sitting up. When his eyes fell on her, he tilted his head. Tetsumi was never easy to read, but she had just gone from being happy and excited to straight-faced.

"Do you think we'll make it to the end?" she asked him.

"You don't think we will?" Kagami turned his body to face her. He sat on the ground and used his arms to hold himself up. Tetsumi shrugged and smiled weakly at Kagami. "Since when did you become doubtful?"

"I feel bad," Tetsumi whispered.

"Why?" Kagami pressed, furrowing his brows. "This is all because of you."

Tetsumi looked down at her hands and twirled her thumbs around one another. Kagami frowned, realizing that she was truly bothered by this. His shoulders sank, and he got onto his feet.

"Come on, Munchkin," Kagami said as he stretched his hand out to her. Tetsumi stared at his hand for a moment. "Get up, I wanna show you something." Taking his hand, Kagami pulled Tetsumi onto her feet.

When he had Tetsumi on her feet, he let go of her hand and started walking back towards the gymnasium. Tetsumi followed him quietly. They got to the door and Kagami held it open, gesturing for her to go in. She nodded and walked inside.

"You get off by picking on others?" Kise's voice echoed from one of the courts.

Tetsumi and Kagami exchanged glances. They walked into the room and saw Kise with Furihata and another guy with cornrows. Kagami walked over while Tetsumi stayed behind. She had a strange feeling she knew the guy Kise was talking too.

"I was just helping him out, Ryota," the one with the cornrows said with a dark laugh. Tetsumi let out a breath and shook her head. It was bad enough they had run into the Sasaki Twins last night, now they had to deal with him.

"He doesn't need your help," Kise shot back with narrowed eyes. "So you can go now."

"You grew a spine, Ryota," Haizaki Shogo chuckled. He did his signature move of wiping his thumb across his lower lip. His eyes were dark and cold as they had always been. "I never would have thought that was possible."

"Get lost," Kise glowered.

The blond teen wasn't one too lose his temper easily; he was too happy-go-lucky for that. When it came to Haizaki, Kise had no tolerance. There was a long history there. Tetsumi had always believed Haizaki had quit basketball, he said he was the last time they spoke.

Akashi had kicked Haizaki off of the team just before Kise had become a regular. It wasn't that simple though, Kise hadn't just been added as a regular—he was Haizaki's replacement. At the time, Tetsumi didn't realize it when she talked to Haizaki. She always assumed he had just quit because he didn't really care about basketball. She found out a week later that Akashi forced him off the team.

"Is there a problem here?" Kagami interrupted, standing behind Haizaki.

"No, Haizaki was just leaving," Kise answered.

Haizaki snorted and turned around, meeting Kagami's eyes. Tetsumi stood at the other end of the court. She swallowed and shook her head. If Haizaki was in the competition they had a lot to worry about.

"Okay, I'm here let's…" Aomine's voice broke through the silence. "Haizaki."

"Daiki," the violent teen laughed as he turned. Tetsumi closed her eyes and shook her head. Things were about to get very bad if Haizaki didn't just walk away. "Must be my lucky day."

Tetsumi wasn't sure if she would be able to help, but she couldn't stand by and do nothing. "It's been a long time, Haizaki-kun." She stood beside Kagami and smiled weakly at Haizaki. He turned around and smirked at her—his lecherous smirk.

There was no telling how much Haizaki had changed in the past three years, but it was obvious his violence and delinquent behavior hadn't improved. The only one who ever seemed to have a true handle on Haizaki was Nijimura. Akashi could deal with him, but he didn't take well to those who disobeyed him.

"Oh," Haizaki laughed as he approached Tetsumi. "The pretty little girl still plays." He eyed her and reached out to touch her, but Aomine gripped his shoulder. Haizaki gritted his teeth and whipped around with a clenched fist. He missed Aomine, but only by an inch. Had Haizaki swung around faster there would have been definite contact.

Aomine's eyes went dark. "You haven't change at all."

"Idiot," Haizaki seethed and straightened up. "Still attacking like a damn attack dog."

"Haizaki-kun," Tetsumi said. "Please don't pick a fight." She took a step forward, but Kagami pulled her back. He didn't like Haizaki one bit he was far to volatile. Not to mention, Tetsumi was very small and Haizaki would probably hurt her.

"She's right, Haizaki," Kise agreed with narrow eyes. "I don't think Tetsucchi should care about you at all, but you really don't want to go around picking fights."

Tetsumi frowned. That didn't seem like a way to calm matters, but rather a challenge. Haizaki would never back down from a fight if he sensed a challenge. He was crude and ruthless.

"Shut-up, idiot!" Haizaki growled at Kise.

Tetsumi shook her head. "Let's just go." She started to walk over to Aomine and Kise, but Haizaki grabbed her.

Tetsumi gasped as he pulled her close, slinging his arm over her small frame. He ran his fingers through the end of her hair. She tried to move away, but Haizaki held her tighter.

"Let her go!" Aomine snapped, but Haizaki only laughed.

Tetsumi tried to pull free again, but Haizaki pulled her against him. She looked at Aomine and Kise, knowing they were going to attack. If they got into a fight, any of them it would be over. Haizaki probably didn't care about that at all. His true interest lied in causing issues for others.

"Hey," Kagami called from behind. Haizaki raised a brow and turned, but as soon as he faced Kagami he was met with a fist. Tetsumi squeaked as Haizaki stumbled forward. "Don't touch my teammate."

Haizaki touched his lip that was now bleeding and snickered. "So you want fight, asshole!"

"Kagami-kun!" Tetsumi yelped when Haizaki lunged at Kagami. The two basketball players toppled to the ground. Furihata quickly grabbed Tetsumi and pulled her out of the way as they rolled on the ground. "No! Don't! Stop it!"

"Kise!" Aomine shouted as he went and pulled Haizaki off of Kagami. Even with Aomine holding Haizaki back, he still fought. Aomine shoved Haizaki back and glared at him. "Back down, Haizaki. I'm starting to lose my patience."

Haizaki said nothing and went in to strike Aomine. Ducking down, Aomine managed to avoid Haizaki's fists. He didn't let up though; he continued to throw punches at Aomine.

"Let me see that," Kise commanded, taking the ball out of Furihata's hands. The blond let out a breath and hurtled the ball at Haizaki. Kise smirked when the ball made contact with the back of Haizaki's head. "We'll settle this on the court."

Haizaki gritted his teeth as he glared at Kise. "Scared to fight?"

"Bastard," Kagami grumbled as he wiped the blood coming from his mouth. Tetsumi knelt down beside him, hoping Haizaki would stop. The last thing any of them needed was to keep fighting. If officials caught them, all of them would be ejected from the competition with no questions asked.

Haizaki was about to charge Kise, but Aomine grabbed him and threw him to the ground. "Leave. Now."

The hostile teen got onto his feet and adjusted his red blazer. He kept his mouth shut as he walked toward Tetsumi. She stayed calm and showed no emotion on her face as he went to touch the ends of her hair.

Aomine grabbed Haizaki's wrist and pushed him back. "Don't touch her."

Snatching his wrist back, Haizaki chortled and walked away with his hands shoved in his pockets. The moment he was out of the gym, Aomine sighed and turned to Tetsumi. She looked at him and smiled weakly, nodding her head in appreciation. He put his arm around her and pulled her close.

"You alright, Kagamicchi?" Kise asked, kneeling down beside the redhead.

"The hell was that guy?" Kagami asked as he got on his feet.

"Haizaki Shogo," Aomine replied. "He's a real piece of work."

"Kagami-kun we should put some ice on that," Tetsumi said. She moved out of Aomine's hold and reached for his face. "It's already swelling." Tetsumi frowned and let go of his face, looking to Furihata. "He didn't hurt you did he, Furi-kun?"

"I'm fine, Kise-san stepped in before things got bad," Furihata assured her with a smile. She nodded and turned to Kise, who waved the matter off before she said anything. "I'll get Kagami checked out." Furihata led Kagami off before he could protest.

"If I knew things would be this difficult, I never would have brought my team here," Tetsumi said with a sigh. She ran her fingers through her hair. It wasn't like her to give up, but she didn't want her teammates or her old teammates to get hurt. "And you guys…"

"Shorty." Aomine put his hand under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. "Whether you and your team came here, Haizaki and the twins would have caused issues. They always have."

Kise nodded. "He's right, Tetsucchi."

Aomine leaned down and gently kissed the top of Tetsumi's head. When he pulled away, he rubbed the side of her face with his thumb and stepped back. He smiled at her and looked back at Kise. "Go to your teammates." Aomine nodded in the direction Kagami and Furihata had gone.

"Thank you, Dai-kun." She pushed herself onto her toes and pecked his lips. Aomine smiled and watched her run out the gym.

"Do my ears and eyes deceive me?" Kise teased.

Aomine frowned and looked at the blond, who cackled like a hyena. "What's the supposed to mean?" He went over to the basketball Kise had thrown earlier. When he got the ball, he rested it on his hip and stared at Kise.

"You saved Kagamicchi and you told Tetsucchi to go to him," Kise explained with a smirk. "What happened to the jealous irrational Aominecchi?"

"Shut up and check the damn ball," Aomine snorted, chucking the ball at Kise.

* * *

-###-

* * *

"Bakagami! What were you thinking?" Riko roared as she paced in front of the small cot that Kagami was sitting on. He had an ice pack to his lip that was swollen and split. The redhead remained silent, listening to Riko ranting and raving about the fight in the gym.

Tetsumi sat quietly in one of the chairs, which was very uncomfortable…or maybe the situation was uncomfortable. Furihata was sitting beside Tetsumi, shaking as their coach continued to rage. Tetsumi had to admit; even she was a little startled by Riko's lecture. The coach had every reason to be upset; if they had gotten caught the entire team would have been kicked out.

Kagami pulled the ice from his face and met Riko's angered gaze. "Look, coach, I was thinking he was an asshole and Munchkin…is well a munchkin and he was hurting her." He put the ice pack back onto his lip and braced himself for another earful.

Riko pinched the bridge of her nose. She sighed and glanced over at Tetsumi, who smiled and nodded. "Alright," Riko conceded. "But stop doing stupid things, Bakagami!" She pointed an accusing finger at the ace player of Seirin.

"Yes ma'am!" Kagami replied, sitting a little straighter on the cot.

"Furi-kun!" Riko barked.

"Coach!" Furihata shot up from his seat and trembled.

"Go get ready, the event is in an hour." Riko opened the door to the small exam room. Furihata nodded and darted out of the room with Riko trailing after him. "Don't be late, you two," Riko said to them before shutting the door.

"I'm sorry you got punched because of me," Tetsumi said, resting her elbows on her knees. Kagami shrugged and got off of the cot. "Haizaki is—"

"An asshole," Kagami finished. Tetsumi giggled and nodded in agreement with him. "I'm fine, Munchkin. Everything's fine." He put the ice down on the small counter. Grabbing his Seirin coat, Kagami slipped it on.

"What were you going to show me earlier?" Tetsumi asked.

"I'll show you later," Kagami said, pressing the ice back onto his lip. Tetsumi frowned, which made Kagami chuckle. "You'll know it when you see it, trust me." He placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair.

"Kagami-kun!" she yipped, swatting his hand away.


	43. RHYTHM

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments on the last chapter! I really appreciate it! The competition should only last about 3 or 4 more chapters. Also, I apologize that this chapter is a little on the short side. Share your thoughts! New chapters to come soon!

* * *

**RHYTHM**

Furihata trembled as he stood from the bench. He stared at the court before him. It had been set-up for the first event—general skills. His body was covered in beads of sweat, his throat was parched, and his mouth was bone dry.

"Furi-kun," Tetsumi said, starling him. "Sorry, but you're up." She gently pushed him onto the court. He was like a terrified puppy, completely unsure of what to do.

"Is he okay?" Kagami asked.

Tetsumi sat down on the bench beside him. "I think so." She nodded, trying to conceal the fact she was worried. Furihata had never been on a court in a competition yet. Tetsumi watched, biting her lower lip as the referee gave Furihata a ball. She looked to his opponent and gasped. "Oh no."

"What?" Kagami asked, but discovered what had Tetsumi freaked out. "Isn't that…"

"Haizaki," Tetsumi muttered with a shake of her head.

"He'll be fine, it's not like they are having a one-on-one match," Kagami tried to placate the issue, but Tetsumi knew better. Haizaki could have been one of the Generation of Miracles, had Kise not come along. He was a superior player, but his volatile and hostile attitude was his biggest downfall.

Kagami was right. They weren't playing a one-on-one match, but that didn't mean Haizaki couldn't mess Furihata up. In fact, Tetsumi had a strong gut feeling that's exactly what Haizaki would do. It was bad enough; Haizaki had gotten into a fight that Furihata witnessed; now he'd have to face him on the court. Tetsumi never would have guessed that Haizaki would settle for something like general skills.

"The first round of the General Skills Event is about to begin," the announcer said over the PA system.

The stands were almost completely full. Not only were the other teams watching, but spectators from universities were watching as well. The pressure was intense and by the looks of it Furihata was feeling it. Tetsumi clasped her hands tightly together, her knuckles going ghost white. She knew Haizaki would say something to Furihata before they started. He always liked to toy with his opponents.

* * *

-###-

* * *

_ Haizaki boastful laughter filled the first string gym. Tetsumi stood beside Midorima, who was shaking his head. She knew that everyone only tolerated Haizaki's annoying outburst because he was a good player._

_ "At least he came to practice," Tetsumi tried, but received no response. Midorima picked up a basketball and nodded for her to come with him. When they got to the other end of the court, Midorima told her to stand at the free throw line and shoot._

_ She dribbled the ball a few times and got into form. Tetsumi released the ball and watched as it teetered on the hoop and into the net. Midorima picked up the ball and opened his mouth to speak, but closed it when Haizaki came over. The silver-haired teen slung his arm over Tetsumi's small frame._

_ Midorima rested the ball against his hip and raised a brow. Of all the Generation of Miracles, Midorima was probably the most orderly. Everything had to be perfect in order for him have a successful game and practice. Haizaki loved to mess with his lucky items, which greatly irritated Midorima._

_ "We're in the middle of something, Haizaki," Midorima stated, pushing his glasses up. "Remove your arm from Tetsumi-chan, and take a hike."_

_ "I'll do what I want, idiot," Haizaki sneered._

_ Tetsumi closed her eyes and shook her head. She hated the way Haizaki talked to people, especially when they were her friends. Recently, Haizaki had been getting into it with Aomine the most. She hated that the most since she was usually in the center of it. Haizaki was a lecherous guy, in some ways Aomine was too, but Haizaki was far worse._

_ "Don't talk to him like that, Haizaki-kun," Tetsumi said, pushing his arm off of shoulders. "We're practicing."_

_ "A cute girl such as you doesn't belong on a basketball team of boys," Haizaki said, grabbing her hand. He pulled her forward and held her close. Tetsumi tried to break away, but Haizaki's grip was strong. "You should be a cheerleader in one of those cute little skirts."_

_ "Let go of me," Tetsumi demanded, shoving Haizaki off of her._

_ "I like the feisty ones," Haizaki smirked devilishly and was about to grab her, but Midorima chunked the ball at him. "You want to start something?"_

_ Midorima remained silent and stared at Haizaki._

_ A basketball came hurtling across the court, slamming into Haizaki's head. Tetsumi squeaked when Haizaki fell onto the ground._

_ "Told you I'd nail him right in the head," Aomine beamed from across the court standing beside Nijimura._

_ "Consider that punishment for missing the last three practices!" Nijimura shouted as Haizaki stood and glared viciously at them. He was like a hungry lion, wanting to rip both Aomine and Nijimura apart._

_ "Haizaki-kun," Tetsumi said, getting in front of him before he could start something. He glanced at her and shoved her back. Tetsumi stumbled, but Midorima steadied her before she fell onto the ground._

_ No one said anything to Haizaki as he stormed out. Tetsumi watched him go and sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. Her eyes spotted Akashi, appearing cool and collected as Haizaki stomped past him._

_ "If he wasn't such an ass," Midorima began, pushing his glasses up his nose. "He'd be worth keeping around."_

_ "What?" Tetsumi turned around to face Midorima._

_ "Nothing, let's go." Midorima shook it off and bounce passed the ball to her. She caught it and decided to drop the matter. "Don't hesitate." Midorima stood beside her as she made the shot, sinking it in perfectly._

_ "Well look at you, Shrimp." Nijimura clapped his hands as he walked over with Aomine at his side. "Aomine and Midorima have gotten you somewhere." The captain smiled at her and patted her on the head as if she were a dog._

_ "Did Haizaki hurt you?" Aomine asked._

_ Tetsumi shook her head. "I'm fine."_

_ "I tried to convince Coach to let him go, but he doesn't want too. He says that Haizaki is valuable," Nijimura grumbled with an eye roll. "Personally, I find him more of a hindrance."_

_ "He isn't all bad," Tetsumi defended with a frown._

_ "No, Aomine is not all bad. Haizaki is a piece of work," Nijimura joked, patting Aomine of the back._

_ "He won't be a problem for long," Akashi said as he walked over to them. The four looked at him with curious eyes. "There's a new guy on the second string, someone who will surpass Haizaki."_

* * *

-###-

* * *

The first week after their second year in middle school, Akashi got Haizaki to quit the team. Everyone believed he was gone for good, but it appeared that things didn't go as one would hope. Tetsumi didn't believe that Haizaki was evil he was just misunderstood.

Tetsumi got up from the bench and ran over to Furihata before the event would begin. Riko called out to her, but she didn't stop. When she got to Furihata, she turned him around and slapped her hands on his cheeks. Furihata's eyes shot wide open, and Tetsumi smiled at him.

"You can do this," Tetsumi said to him. "You've done these drills hundreds of times, you know what to do. Just stay focused. Keep your rhythm and the rest will fall into place. No one and nothing else matters." She let go of his face and nodded.

"Give him the pep talk of a lifetime, Tetsumi," Haizaki chuckled as he walked over, eyes narrowed and locked on Furihata. The terrified player was about to look at Haizaki, but Tetsumi grabbed his face.

"No one else matters," Tetsumi said as she let go of Furihata's face. He took in a deep breath and agreed.

"Fukuda Sogo, first run!" the referee shouted.

Haizaki walked over to the starting court and gazed at the court. He smirked and glanced at the timer on the judges' stand.

"Whatever time he gets don't focus on that," Tetsumi said to Furihata, who glanced at her. "Just focus on the task at hand. He'll freak you out Haizaki is good at that. He'll throw off your rhythm and that can't happen." Tetsumi started backing away.

"I'll beat him." Furihata gave her a thumbs up.

Tetsumi joined the rest of her team on the bench. When she sat beside Kagami, he raised a brow at her. Tetsumi sighed, ignoring the redhead beside her. Kagami opened his mouth to say something, but Tetsumi shushed him with a wave of her hand.

The course tested the basic skills all basketball players needed to know: dribbling, shooting, and passing. Furihata would have to prove he had ball control, could shoot from the three-point line, and pass into two baskets. Tetsumi had looked over the record times for the course. Last year, a third year from Seiho had the fastest time of 30 second flat. The best time ever documented was six years ago. He was a first year from Rakuzan with a time of 28.3 seconds. Based on the data, most players averaged around 32 to 34 seconds.

"Don't look so nervous, Munchkin," Kagami said, nudging her shoulder with his own. "I don't know what you said, but he's not shaking anymore."

Tetsumi smiled and nodded.

"Go!" the announcer said over the PA System. Haizaki charged through the obstacles on the court. He was even flashy about it, doing a couple of crossovers as he weaved through the cones. Tetsumi bit her lip, watching as Haizaki got the ball into the first passing basket with ease. She had no idea that he was so attuned to passing. Haizaki got to the free throw line and shot the ball. It fell straight in and he was onto the next set of cones to weave through.

"He's making good time," Riko muttered, biting the tip of her thumb.

Haizaki got through the cones and took passed the ball into the basket. The first one didn't go in, which seemed to relieve Seirin's bench. Haizaki grabbed another ball and got it in. He darted over to the boundary line and went straight under the net. With ease, Haizaki slammed the ball into the hoop and landed on the ground.

"29.8 seconds," Hyuga groaned, rubbing his temples.

"Furi-kun can do this," Tetsumi said, bolstering the team's confidence. "He knows what he's doing."

* * *

-###-

* * *

Aomine leaned against the railing. He wondered if Seirin would be able to get through the individual rounds to make it to the games. As it was, Seirin hadn't even been invited until Kise got them in. Aomine had to admit how Kise had managed to do that.

"Aominecchi!" Kise's voice boomed from behind. "I didn't think you'd watch."

"Shouldn't you be down there, Kise? Isn't Kaijo in the second round?" Aomine asked, glancing at the blond dressed in the Kaijo blue.

"I'm not doing General Skills," Kise said, leaning on the rail beside Aomine.

"How did you get Seirin in?" Aomine looked at Kise, who smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "Secretive? That's unlike you." The ace turned his attention back to the court where Seirin's player stood.

"Like I said, I know a guy," Kise replied with a shrug, watching as Furihata started. He started off smooth, nice transitions, steady handling, a perfect rhythm and pace. His pacing was almost perfect, going straight through into the basket. When he got to the free throw line, he seemed hesitant. "He's going to miss if he doesn't calm down."

"Shorty talked to him," Aomine said as he watched. "He was worse earlier."

"Slap on the face talk," Kise chuckled.

"That's the one."

Both of them laugh lightly.

"Well I'll be damned," Kise smirked as Furihata sunk the ball into the hoop. It wasn't perfect, but he didn't have to take a second shot. He took off down the court, weaving through the cones, dribbling at all the right times. Kise nodded his head as Furihata made the layup and crossed the finish line.

"30 seconds flat," Aomine said with a nod. "He matched last years best time."

"Seirin deserved to be here," Kise said and pushed off the railing. "That's why I vouched for them." The blond took in a breath and smiled weakly. He walked away from Aomine and said he'd see him on the court.


	44. IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE!

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Hello wonderful readers and followers of Shadow Play!

I am so sorry for disappearing for such a long time. Unfortunately, my USB that contained this story was lost to me, so that really put a damper things, then I moved to a new place, I started focusing more on college (which is almost over, thank goodness!), and I lost my writing mojo. However, about a month ago, I came back to this story. I reread every single chapter and honestly, I'm very disappointed in my writing on it. I don't think it's terrible, but I do feel it can be so much better!

I am coming here today to ask for all of your forgiveness for abandoning this story so long ago. I feel terrible for doing so. I recently started watching Kuroko no Basuke again and my love of it has blossomed. Not that I ever stopped loving this series, but I lost time and interest in writing for it. Things are different now, after rereading Shadow Play and rewatching the anime, I want to return to this story.

Not only do I wish to return, I will be rewriting this story in it's entirety. I will be leaving this version up until the new and improved version is complete. I have already plotted the new version, which will have some similarities and some differences. The main concept will remain the same of course.

I really do hope that you all will still be interested in this story! I honestly believe it will be better now that I have a more concrete plot.

Again, I apologize for leaving for so long!

Thank you so much for sticking with me, I hope to see you in the new version of Shadow Play.

Which reminds me, the new version to this story will be called **Shadow Play: ReCharge**!

Thank you for reading this, I'll see you at the new story page!

Take care, lovely supporters and readers! You are awesome ;)

-Chrissy 3


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